Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 17
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
अर्वाक् त्र्यब्दाद्धरेत् स्वामी परेण नृपतिर्हरेत् ममेदमिति यो ब्रूयात् सो ऽर्थयुक्तो यथाविधि
arvāk tryabdāddharet svāmī pareṇa nṛpatirharet mamedamiti yo brūyāt so 'rthayukto yathāvidhi
तीन वर्ष पूरे होने से पहले स्वामी स्वयं उसे ले सकता है; उसके बाद राजा विधि-प्रक्रिया से उसे दिलाए/वसूल करे। जो कहे ‘यह मेरा है’, वह नियमानुसार उचित प्रमाण सहित कहे।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dharma/vyavahāra sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Establishes limitation and recovery rules for deposited/unclaimed property and sets evidentiary requirement for ownership claims in court.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Trivarṣa-maryādā for recovery and proof of ownership (mamedam-iti)","lookup_keywords":["trivarṣa","maryādā","svāmi","nṛpati","pramāṇa"],"quick_summary":"Within three years the owner may reclaim; after three years the king proceeds to take charge through legal process. Any claimant must assert ownership with proper grounds/evidence as prescribed."}
Concept: Property rights are protected by time-bound procedure and pramāṇa (proof); royal authority operates through vidhi (prescribed method), not arbitrariness.
Application: Maintain records of found/deposited goods; require claimants to present identifying proof and witnesses; apply limitation periods before escheat/royal custody actions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra-style rules on property, possession, and royal authority)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A claimant pointing to goods saying ‘mamedam’ while presenting evidence (marks, witnesses, documents) before a magistrate; a timeline motif showing ‘before 3 years’ vs ‘after 3 years’ with royal custody.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: judicial pavilion with palm-leaf documents, witnesses with folded hands, goods displayed (cloth bundles, ornaments), a painted ‘3-year’ boundary symbol, stylized faces and lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king and minister receiving a claimant’s petition; gold-leaf accents on seals and documents; goods arranged neatly; temple-like arch framing the court.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: schematic instructional court scene with labeled evidence types—sākṣī, lekhyam, lakṣaṇa; a clear ‘3 years’ divider; fine linework and soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: qazi-like adjudication scene with scribes, witnesses, claimant holding a sealed deed, goods on carpet, architectural depth and patterned textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tryabdāddharet → tryabdāt + haret; nṛpatirharet → nṛpatiḥ + haret; mamedamiti → mama + idam + iti; so 'rthayukto → saḥ + artha-yuktaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana chapters on vyavahāra: pramāṇa (evidence), sākṣin (witness), lekhyam (documents); Agni Purana rājadharma on treasury and confiscation
FAQs
It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (practical legal procedure): a time-based rule for recovery of property and the requirement that an ownership claim be supported by proper proof and made according to prescribed legal method.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves dharmaśāstra-like civil governance: limitation-style timelines, the king’s adjudicatory power, and standards of proof—showing its coverage of administrative and legal knowledge.
By insisting on rightful recovery through due procedure and evidence, it discourages theft, false claims, and coercion—upholding dharma in social order, which is treated as meritorious and stabilizing for both ruler and subjects.