Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 29
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
अन्त्यजातिर्द्विजातिन्तु येनाङ्गेनापराध्नुयात् तदेव च्छेदयेत्तस्य क्षिप्रमेवाविचारयन्
antyajātirdvijātintu yenāṅgenāparādhnuyāt tadeva cchedayettasya kṣipramevāvicārayan
もしアンティヤージャーティ（最下層）の者が、ある肢体を用いてドヴィジャ（再生の二度生まれ）に対し罪を犯したなら、その用いた肢体そのものを、思案を引き延ばすことなく速やかに切り落とすべきである。
Lord Agni (narrating dharma and dandaniti to the sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Used in historical penal codes to justify corporal punishment framed as limb-for-limb retribution when an offender of the lowest status harms a dvija using a specific limb; informs study of ancient jurisprudence and its social stratification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Limb-specific amputation for offences by antyajāti against dvija","lookup_keywords":["antyajati-danda","dvija-aparadha","anga-chedana","pratyanika-danda","avichara"],"quick_summary":"When an offence is committed ‘by a limb,’ the punishment is to cut that same limb. The verse emphasizes swift execution of the sentence, reflecting a retributive model of justice."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as deterrence and social boundary-maintenance; ‘yena aṅgena’ principle of proportional retaliation.
Application: For comparative legal ethics: evaluate proportionality, due process, and the social assumptions embedded in stratified punishments.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dharmashastra (Penal Law / Social Jurisprudence)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tribunal scene where the judge identifies the offending limb used in an assault and orders limb-specific punishment, with scribes recording the verdict.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, stern king-judge with attendants, offender shown with highlighted limb (hand/foot) symbolically marked, executioner awaiting order, strong reds/ochres, stylized expressions conveying raudra.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, iconic king with gold embellishments, the ‘offending limb’ emphasized by gesture, attendants holding palm-leaf decree, ornamental frame, moralizing courtroom tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean didactic composition: judge, scribe, offender, and a diagrammatic emphasis on the limb, muted palette, fine outlines, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court with qazī-like judge analog, careful depiction of legal procedure, marginal notes feel, executioner in background, realistic textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: antyajātirdvijātintu → antyajātiḥ + dvijātim + tu; yenāṅgenāparādhnuyāt → yena + aṅgena + aparādhnuyāt; tadeva → tat + eva; cchedayet (t + ch → cch); kṣipramevāvicārayan → kṣipram + eva + avicārayan.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226.31 (yad-aṅga-rujā principle)
FAQs
It teaches dandaniti (penal governance): a principle of limb-for-limb corporal punishment when a bodily offence is committed against a dvija.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana compiles practical statecraft and legal norms; this verse is part of its dharmashastra-style material on crime and punishment (rajadharma).
It frames punishment as a dharmic instrument of social order and deterrence, implying that wrongdoing against protected classes brings immediate, severe karmic and social consequences enforced through the king’s justice.