Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 30
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
अवनिष्ठीवतो दर्पाद् द्वावोष्ठौ छेदयेन्नृपः अपमूत्रयतो मेढ्रमपशब्दयतो गुदं
avaniṣṭhīvato darpād dvāvoṣṭhau chedayennṛpaḥ apamūtrayato meḍhramapaśabdayato gudaṃ
जो दर्प से भूमि पर थूकता है, राजा उसके दोनों ओष्ठ काटे; जो अनुचित रीति से मूत्र त्याग करता है, उसका मेढ्र काटे; और जो अश्लील/अपशब्द बोलता है, उसका गुदा काटे।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s instructional narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Catalogues exemplary corporal punishments for public indecency and arrogance-based misconduct; used to understand ancient notions of public hygiene, decorum, and deterrent penalties.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Corporal penalties for spitting, improper urination, and obscene speech","lookup_keywords":["avanisthivana","apamutra","apashabda","oshtha-chedana","medhra-chedana"],"quick_summary":"Spitting on the ground in arrogance is punished by cutting the lips; improper/public urination by cutting the penis; obscene speech by cutting the anus. The entry reflects a punitive linkage between the organ involved and the offence."}
Concept: Śauca (public cleanliness) and vāk-saṃyama (restraint of speech) enforced through daṇḍa; symbolic ‘organ-based’ retribution.
Application: In modern reading, treat as historical legal anthropology: how societies enforced hygiene and speech norms; contrast with non-violent corrective jurisprudence.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Penal law and royal governance)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three vignettes: a man spitting arrogantly before others; another urinating in a forbidden place; another speaking obscenities—each shown before the king’s officers who enforce harsh penalties.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, triptych composition with bold outlines: arrogant spitter, public urination near a sacred boundary, obscene speaker in marketplace; king’s guards in traditional attire; intense raudra mood colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, segmented panels with gold borders: each offence depicted with symbolic emphasis on lips, genitals, and mouth/speech; king enthroned as moral authority; ornate gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic storyboard layout, clear labeling-like visual cues (without text), restrained palette, focus on civic rules and enforcement officers.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar scenes with fine detail; officers apprehend offenders; architectural depth; discreet but clear depiction of the three offences in separate registers."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dvāvoṣṭhau → dvau + oṣṭhau; chedayennṛpaḥ → chedayet + nṛpaḥ (t + n sandhi); meḍhramapaśabdayato → meḍhram + apaśabdayataḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226.31 (limb-for-limb logic)
FAQs
It gives dandanīti (royal penal discipline): specific corporal punishments prescribed for arrogant spitting, improper urination, and obscene/vulgar speech as public-order offenses.
Beyond myth and ritual, the Agni Purana also codifies practical governance—here, a concrete penal schedule—showing its coverage of law, administration, and social regulation alongside religious topics.
Such acts are treated as dharma-violations that pollute social space and degrade self-restraint; punishment functions as deterrence and as a corrective measure to restore order and reduce the karmic spread of adharmic behavior.