Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 42
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
स्वदेशपण्ये तु शतं बणिज् गृह्णीत पञ्चकं दशकं पारदेश्ये तु यः सद्यः क्रयविक्रयौ
svadeśapaṇye tu śataṃ baṇij gṛhṇīta pañcakaṃ daśakaṃ pāradeśye tu yaḥ sadyaḥ krayavikrayau
自国の品の取引では、商人は百に対して五または十の利を取るべきである。だが外国の品については、即時に買い即時に売る者は利を取ってよい。
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Set normative profit margins: modest markup for local goods (5–10%) and differentiated allowance for foreign goods when transactions are immediate, guiding fair pricing and preventing exploitation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Permissible merchant profit: local vs foreign goods","lookup_keywords":["svadeśa-paṇya","pāradeśya","śata","pañcaka-daśaka","kraya-vikraya"],"quick_summary":"For domestic goods, take 5 or 10 per hundred as profit. For foreign goods, a higher/variable profit is allowed when the merchant performs immediate buy-sell turnover, reflecting risk and logistics."}
Concept: Dharma-guided artha: profit is bounded by fairness, context (local/foreign), and service (speed/turnover).
Application: Adopt transparent markup policies; justify higher margins only with demonstrable costs/risks (transport, duties, spoilage, currency exchange).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Governance, Law, and Commerce)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two trade scenes: local market where a merchant marks 5–10% profit on domestic goods; and a caravan/ship-borne foreign goods scene where immediate buy-sell is shown with higher allowed margin, with a clerk calculating percentages.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split narrative: local bazaar with grain/cloth labeled 'svadeśa', foreign caravan with bales and guards labeled 'pāradeśya', scribe drawing percentage marks, earthy palette and stylized figures.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted coin stacks showing '5' and '10' per hundred, domestic goods in foreground, foreign goods with ornate ship/caravan in background, decorative borders and rich colors.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic chart-like composition: 100-unit stack with 5 and 10-unit profit add-ons, separate panel for foreign goods with cost/risk icons (distance, toll gate), fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling port and bazaar: domestic stall with measured pricing, foreign trader arriving with caravan/ship, accountant with ledger computing margins, detailed architecture and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वदेशपण्ये → स्वदेश-पण्ये; क्रयविक्रयौ → क्रय-विक्रयौ (dvandva)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (profit norms and commercial regulation)
FAQs
It teaches commercial regulation: recommended profit margins (5–10% per hundred) for domestic goods, and a principle for foreign-goods trade tied to quick turnover (immediate buy-sell).
Beyond theology, it preserves practical statecraft and economic norms—merchant conduct, pricing, and transactional ethics—showing the text’s coverage of governance and civil economy.
By restraining excessive profit and promoting fair dealing, the merchant avoids adharma in livelihood (ājīvikā), supporting social order and generating merit through honest commerce.