Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 51
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
शूद्रादीन् घातयेद्राजा पापान् विप्रान् प्रवासयेत् महापातकिनां वित्तं वरुणायोपपादयेत्
śūdrādīn ghātayedrājā pāpān viprān pravāsayet mahāpātakināṃ vittaṃ varuṇāyopapādayet
ព្រះរាជាគួរប្រហារជីវិតសូទ្រ និងអ្នកដទៃ (ក្រៅព្រាហ្មណ៍) ដែលមានទោសធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ; ព្រាហ្មណ៍ដែលមានបាប គួរបណ្តេញទៅនិរទេស។ ទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិរបស់អ្នកប្រព្រឹត្តមហាបាតក (mahāpātaka) គួរឧទ្ទិសជាគ្រឿងបូជាដល់វរុណ (Varuṇa)។
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"State punishment policy differentiated by varṇa/status and offense category; confiscation and ritual dedication of mahāpātaka wealth to Varuṇa as a purificatory/legal act.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Daṇḍa for grave offenders; dedication of mahāpātaka wealth to Varuṇa","lookup_keywords":["dandaniti","mahapataka","banishment","capital punishment","Varuna offering"],"quick_summary":"Grave offenders among non-Brahmin classes are prescribed capital punishment; sinful Brahmins are banished; wealth of major sinners is confiscated and ritually assigned to Varuṇa, integrating law with sacral purification."}
Weapon Type: Sword (implied in execution)
Concept: Daṇḍa sustains social order; punishment is also a ritual-moral purification when linked to divine guardians of ṛta (Varuṇa).
Application: Separate criminal penalties from personal vendetta; ensure confiscated assets are redirected to public/ritual trust to prevent re-corruption.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Daṇḍanīti (Royal law, punishment, governance)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king pronounces sentences: execution for grave criminals, exile for a sinful Brahmin, and a ritual dedication of confiscated wealth to Varuṇa at a waterside altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king with attendants, two contrasting fates (guard leading exile; executioner with sword kept symbolic), and Varuṇa worship near water with conch and offerings, saturated colors and stylized waves","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central king on throne; side vignette of Varuṇa receiving offerings with gold embellishment; confiscated coins rendered with gold leaf; formal symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic triptych—sentence, exile procession, and Varuṇa offering at riverbank; fine linework, calm instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: palace court sentencing scene with detailed costumes; riverbank ritual with priests and offering trays; nuanced expressions and architectural depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: घातयेद्राजा = घातयेत् + राजा (त् + र → द्र). वरुणायोपपादयेत् = वरुणाय + उपपादयेत् (आ + उ → ओ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Daṇḍanīti and prāyaścitta adjacency)
FAQs
It gives a daṇḍanīti rule: differentiated penalties (execution or exile) and a ritualized disposition of confiscated wealth—dedicating a mahāpātakin’s property as an offering to Varuṇa.
Beyond myth, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied governance material—penal policy, social-legal distinctions, and ritual handling of tainted wealth—showing its coverage of dharmaśāstra-like statecraft alongside religious practice.
By removing the offender (execution/exile) and ritually transferring ‘polluted’ wealth to Varuṇa, the king is portrayed as restoring moral order (dharma) and reducing communal karmic contamination linked with mahāpātaka.