Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 3
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
हीनजातिं परिक्षीणमृणार्थं कर्म कारयेत् ब्राह्मणस्तु परिक्षीणः शनैर् दाप्यो यथोदयम्
hīnajātiṃ parikṣīṇamṛṇārthaṃ karma kārayet brāhmaṇastu parikṣīṇaḥ śanair dāpyo yathodayam
निम्न स्थिति का जो व्यक्ति दरिद्र हो गया हो, उससे ऋण-चुकौती हेतु काम कराया जा सकता है। पर यदि ब्राह्मण दरिद्र हो जाए, तो उससे उसकी आय के अनुसार धीरे-धीरे, किस्तों में भुगतान कराया जाए।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, within dharma/legal instruction sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidelines for humane and status-sensitive debt enforcement: labor substitution for insolvent lower-status debtors; installment-based repayment for impoverished Brahmins according to income.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Debt repayment by labor vs. installments (status and insolvency)","lookup_keywords":["insolvent debtor","labor for debt","installments","brahmana impoverished","vyavahara enforcement"],"quick_summary":"If an impoverished lower-status debtor cannot pay, repayment may be compelled through work; if an impoverished Brāhmaṇa cannot pay, repayment should be gradual, aligned with arising income."}
Concept: Balancing creditor rights with debtor capacity and social norms: coercion through labor for some, leniency via installments for others.
Application: Designing repayment plans: assessing ability-to-pay, permitting structured installments, and using labor as last-resort satisfaction of debt.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: debt, repayment, social/legal procedure)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two parallel vignettes: an impoverished lower-status debtor performing assigned work under supervision to repay; an impoverished Brahmin repaying in small installments as income arrives, with a scribe recording payments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych composition, left: labor repayment scene with tools and overseer, right: Brahmin with sacred thread offering small coin installments to creditor, palm-leaf ledger central, earthy tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, split-panel: left shows labor service with stylized tools, right shows Brahmin paying gradually, gold accents on ledger and sacred thread, ornate borders emphasizing moral order.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional two-case diagram: ‘work repayment’ vs ‘installments by income’, clear labels, gentle palette, fine outlines, scribe prominently depicted.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, genre-like scenes of labor and accounting, detailed textiles and tools, clerk writing installment schedule, nuanced facial expressions conveying hardship and restraint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परिक्षीणम्+ऋणार्थम्→परिक्षीणमृणार्थम्; ब्राह्मणः+तु→ब्राह्मणस्तु; यथा+उदयम्→यथोदयम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (debt enforcement and repayment ordering); Agni Purana 252 (commercial rules and adjudication backdrop)
FAQs
It imparts legal/administrative procedure (vyavahāra-vidyā) for debt recovery: repayment may be enforced through labor for an impoverished debtor, while an impoverished brāhmaṇa is to repay gradually in proportion to actual income.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves practical governance and civil-law norms (rajadharma and debt jurisprudence), showing it functions as a compendium that includes social regulation and economic-legal guidance.
By prescribing proportionate repayment and differentiated enforcement, it frames debt discharge as a dharmic obligation while limiting harm to those in hardship, aiming to uphold social order and personal duty (ṛṇa-śodhana) without excessive coercion.