Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 39
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
कर्तव्यं वचनं सर्वैः समूहहितवादिभिः यस्तत्र विपरीतः स्यात्स दाप्यः प्रथमं दमम्
kartavyaṃ vacanaṃ sarvaiḥ samūhahitavādibhiḥ yastatra viparītaḥ syātsa dāpyaḥ prathamaṃ damam
समूह-हित बोलने वालों की बात सभी को माननी चाहिए; जो उसमें विपरीत आचरण करे, उससे पहले दंड (जुर्माना) वसूल किया जाए।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vashistha, in the Rajadharma/niti portion)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Civic administration: prioritize counsel aimed at collective welfare; penalize those who obstruct or act against community-benefit decisions—starting with monetary fines.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Primacy of community-welfare counsel and first-stage fine for contravention","lookup_keywords":["samuhahita","counsel","fine","civic order","niti"],"quick_summary":"Decisions aligned with community welfare should be followed by all. Those who act contrary are first punished with a fine, establishing graded enforcement for civic discipline."}
Concept: Hita (welfare) as a dharmic criterion for policy; graded punishment begins with fines to correct behavior without excessive cruelty.
Application: Governance principle: adopt public-interest recommendations; enforce compliance proportionately, starting with financial penalties.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Governance, civic order, legal penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A council of community representatives speaks for the common good; the king orders adherence; a dissenting actor is assessed a fine by scribes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: semicircle of elders and citizens; king listening; a scribe with palm-leaf ledger; symbolic coin payment; warm interior with lamps, bold contours.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king and council with gold accents; the ‘fine’ shown as a small heap of coins with gold leaf; decorative pillars and rich textiles.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional court tableau; council pointing to a public works plan; dissenting person presented; scribe calculating ‘dama’; fine linework and clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: diwān with petitioners; detailed ledger writing; coin purse exchanged as fine; architectural depth and patterned carpets."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yastatra → yaḥ tatra; syātsa → syāt sa.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma guidance on sabha, ministers, and danda gradation (contextual)
FAQs
It teaches a governance principle (niti): communal welfare counsel (samūha-hita-vacana) should be implemented, and the first corrective measure for violation is a monetary fine (dama).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft and legal norms—how assemblies function, how public-interest advice is enforced, and how graded penalties begin with a fine.
Upholding community-benefiting counsel supports dharma and social harmony; refusing it is treated as a breach requiring expiation through danda (here, the mild first step of dama), restoring order and merit.