Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 11
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
सुराकामद्यूतकृतन्दण्डशुल्कावशिष्टकम् वृथा दानं तथैवेह पुत्रो दद्यान्न पैतृकम्
surākāmadyūtakṛtandaṇḍaśulkāvaśiṣṭakam vṛthā dānaṃ tathaiveha putro dadyānna paitṛkam
Sedekah yang diberikan dari sisa harta yang diperoleh melalui minuman keras, hawa nafsu, perjudian, denda, dan bea/pungutan adalah sia-sia di sini (tanpa pahala dharma). Demikian pula, seorang putra tidak patut menghibahkan harta warisan ayahnya.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in dharma topics, per the Agni Purana’s usual narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethical screening of wealth sources for religious gifting; guidance on what kinds of income render dāna fruitless and limits on a son’s authority over paternal estate.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aśuddha-dravya-dāna-niṣedha (Futile gifts from impure/tainted wealth)","lookup_keywords":["sura","kāma","dyūta","daṇḍa","śulka","vṛthā-dāna"],"quick_summary":"Gifts made from wealth tied to liquor, sensual vice, gambling, fines, or tolls are declared fruitless; a son should not donate away the paternal estate."}
Concept: Dāna-phala depends on śuddhi of dravya (purity of means); adharmic acquisition undermines merit; stewardship limits on heirs.
Application: Before donating, verify lawful/ethical provenance of funds; heirs should preserve estate obligations and not alienate ancestral property without right.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Dāna-vidhi (Inheritance, lawful giving, and impure wealth)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor attempts to give wealth marked by vice (liquor shop, gambling dice, fines/tolls ledger); a sage or judge indicates the gift is futile; a son is stopped from giving away ancestral property deeds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic vignettes: dice game, wine vessel, toll ledger; central sage in ochre robes raising palm in prohibition; son holding palm-leaf deed of ancestral land, restrained by elder","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold, sage seated with aureole, donor offering coins and vessels; background motifs of dice and tavern sign; emphasis on moral prohibition gesture","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau with labeled sources of tainted wealth (dyūta, surā, daṇḍa, śulka); sage explaining, son holding inheritance document","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar scenes of gambling and excise/toll collection; foreground: scholar-jurist advising donor, son prevented from transferring ancestral estate, fine architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: surākāmadyūtakṛtam → surā-kāma-dyūta-kṛtam; daṇḍaśulkāvaśiṣṭakam → daṇḍa-śulka-avaśiṣṭakam; tathaiveha → tathā eva iha; dadyānna → dadyāt na.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (dāna-vidhi and vyavahāra adjacency)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-rule for dāna: charity is considered meritless if funded from tainted or socially censured sources (liquor, sensual vice, gambling) or from certain levies (fines/tolls), and it restricts gifting away ancestral property.
Beyond ritual worship, the Agni Purana also codifies practical social-legal norms—ethical economics, legitimacy of wealth, and inheritance constraints—showing its coverage of governance and civil dharma alongside religious instruction.
The verse teaches that intention alone does not sanctify giving: the moral quality of the source of wealth conditions karmic fruit, and protecting ancestral assets prevents adharmic depletion of family duty and lineage obligations.