Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 3

वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्

The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences

Devanagari script

अर्धो ऽधमेषु द्विगुणः परस्त्रीषूत्तमेषु च दण्डप्रणयनं कार्यं वर्णजात्युत्तराधरैः

Transliteration

ardho 'dhameṣu dviguṇaḥ parastrīṣūttameṣu ca daṇḍapraṇayanaṃ kāryaṃ varṇajātyuttarādharaiḥ

Translation

地位の低い者の違犯には刑罰を半減し、他人の妻に関わる罪および地位の高い者の違犯には刑罰を倍加すべきである。処罰の決定は、加害者と被害者のヴァルナ（varṇa）の位階を、高低の段階に従って定める。

Word by Word

• ardhaḥ: half (amount)
• ardhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• adhameṣu: among the lowest (persons)
• adhameṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• dviguṇaḥ: double
• dviguṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• para-strīṣu: in (cases involving) another's wife
• para-strīṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• uttameṣu: among the best (persons)
• uttameṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• daṇḍa-praṇayanam: imposition of punishment
• daṇḍa-praṇayanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• kāryam: should be done
• kāryam: Vidhi (विधेय/आज्ञार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय) → kārya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicative adjective), ‘to be done/should be done’

• varṇa-jāti-uttara-adharaiḥ: by (persons) higher and lower by varṇa and birth
• varṇa-jāti-uttara-adharaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण—‘by those higher and lower in varṇa and birth’

Speaker

Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ardho 'dhameṣu = ardhaḥ + adhameṣu; parastrīṣūttameṣu = para-strīṣu + uttameṣu; varṇajātyuttarādharaiḥ = varṇa-jāti-uttara-adharaiḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Daṇḍa (punishment)
• Varṇa
• Jāti
• Parastrī (another’s wife)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches daṇḍanīti (penology): punishments are scaled—reduced for lower-status cases, doubled for adultery (parastrī) and higher-status cases—while considering relative varṇa/jāti gradations.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Beyond ritual and mythology, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves practical governance material—judicial principles on fines and sentencing—showing its dharma-legal and administrative scope.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By prescribing proportionate punishment, it frames justice as a dharmic corrective: wrongdoing (especially violating another’s marriage) accrues heavier demerit and demands stronger restraint to restore social and moral order.