Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 46
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
यो यावत् कुरुते कर्म तावत्तस्य तु वेतनम् उभयोरप्यसाध्यञ्चेत् साध्ये कुर्याद्यथाश्रुतम्
yo yāvat kurute karma tāvattasya tu vetanam ubhayorapyasādhyañcet sādhye kuryādyathāśrutam
मनुष्य जितना कार्य करता है, उतना ही उसका वेतन है। यदि दोनों पक्षों के लिए पूर्ण निर्वाह असंभव हो, तो जो संभव हो उसे सुनी/ठहरी हुई शर्त के अनुसार करना चाहिए।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purana’s instructional chapters on dharma and vyavahāra)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Drafting and adjudicating wage/contract disputes: pay proportional to work actually completed; if full performance is impossible for both sides, enforce feasible partial performance per the agreed terms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Bhṛti (Wage) proportionality and partial performance in contracts","lookup_keywords":["bhṛti","vetana","karmānurūpa","aśakya-sādhya","vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"Wages correspond to the quantum of work done. If complete performance cannot be achieved by either party, the court should enforce what is practicable according to the original agreement."}
Concept: Nyāya in exchange: proportionality (yathākṛta) and fidelity to agreement (yathāśruta).
Application: In disputes, verify the agreed terms and measure actual performance; award proportionate wage and order feasible completion rather than punitive demands.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Governance, civil law, contracts, and adjudication)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court where a judge/hearing officer weighs a worker’s completed task against a written/orally recited agreement, then orders proportional payment and feasible completion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, raja-sabha courtroom, palm-leaf contract being read aloud, scribe with stylus, worker and employer standing, warm earthy pigments, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gilded royal court, judge on throne with halo-like arch, gold-leaf accents on pillars and ornaments, worker receiving measured coins, stylized symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, detailed administrative scene, accountant’s ledger, measured tools indicating partial work, calm pastel palette, fine linework, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate court adjudication, precise textiles and architecture, clerk presenting a document, coins counted, naturalistic faces, marginal floral motifs"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उभयोरपि = उभयोः + अपि; असाध्यञ्चेत् = असाध्यम् + चेत्; कुर्याद्यथाश्रुतम् = कुर्यात् + यथा + श्रुतम् (त् + य → द्य).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (Vyavahāra/Rājadharma sections on contracts, wages, and adjudication)
FAQs
It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (practical civil jurisprudence): wages must be proportional to work completed, and if full completion is impossible, the feasible portion should be performed according to the agreed terms.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves administrative and legal norms—here, principles of contract performance and wage determination—showing its wide coverage of governance and social order.
It promotes dharmic conduct in livelihood and agreements: fairness, truthfulness to one’s undertaking, and avoidance of exploitation—actions understood to support righteous karma and social harmony.