Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
सर्वत्र शूद्रे पादः स्याद् द्वित्रयं वैश्यभूपयोः विड्वराहखरोष्ट्राणां गोमायोः कपिकाकयोः
sarvatra śūdre pādaḥ syād dvitrayaṃ vaiśyabhūpayoḥ viḍvarāhakharoṣṭrāṇāṃ gomāyoḥ kapikākayoḥ
ಈ ಎಲ್ಲ ಸಂದರ್ಭಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶೂದ್ರನಿಗೆ ದಂಡ ಪ್ರಮಾಣದ ಒಂದು ಪಾದ (ಒಂದು ಚತುರ್ಥಾಂಶ); ವೈಶ್ಯನಿಗೆ ಎರಡು ಭಾಗ, ರಾಜ/ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯನಿಗೆ ಮೂರು ಭಾಗ. ಹಂದಿ, ಕತ್ತೆ, ಒಂಟೆಯ ಮಲ, ಗೋಮೂತ್ರ ಹಾಗೂ ಕೋತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾಗೆಯ ಅಶುಚಿ ವಿಷಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ನಿಯಮ ಅನ್ವಯಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Scaling of penalties/fines and impurity-related adjudication by varna/status in cases involving contact with specified impure substances; guidance for judges/householders on proportional punishment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Varna-wise penalty fractions for impurity offences (specified filth substances)","lookup_keywords":["daṇḍa-bheda","śūdra-pāda","vyavahāra","aśauca-dravya","go-mūtra"],"quick_summary":"Sets fractional penalties by social grade for offences connected with specified impure substances (animal excreta/filth). Useful as a quick rule for judicial scaling of punishment."}
Concept: Daṇḍa (penalty) must be proportioned to social responsibility/status while maintaining communal purity norms.
Application: Judicial/household decision-making: apply graded sanctions and reinforce avoidance/cleansing around impure substances.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: legal/penal measures and social gradations)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-judge or sabhā assembly weighing proportional penalties, with symbolic depiction of impure substances (animal droppings/urine) kept at a distance, emphasizing purity law and graded fines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, a royal sabhā with a dharmādhikārin holding palm-leaf records, attendants indicating measured fractions on a balance, impure substances shown symbolically outside the court boundary, earthy reds and greens, flat iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf court scene with a seated king and a learned judge, ornate balance scales showing fractional parts, stylized animals (boar, donkey, camel, monkey, crow) in small medallions as icons of the rule, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: judge pointing to a chart of penalty fractions (1/4, 2/?, 3/?), neat linework, minimal background, small labeled icons for the listed impurities, calm didactic mood.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtroom with scribes and litigants, a balance and written decree, marginal vignettes of the animals referenced, fine architectural interior, subdued palette with precise detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद् = स्यात् (द् before following voiced consonant); वैश्यभूपयोः, कपिकाकयोः are द्वन्द्व compounds in genitive dual; द्वित्रयम् treated as dvandva ‘two and three’ used idiomatically ‘two or three’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara and Prāyaścitta sequence)
FAQs
It gives a Dharmaśāstra-style rule for graded assessment of penalties (shares like one-quarter, two/three parts) by varṇa in cases connected with specified impurities (animal excreta and cow-urine).
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied jurisprudence—fine/penalty gradations, social categories, and impurity-related legal norms—showing its coverage of governance and law (rājadharma/vyavahāra) in addition to worship and philosophy.
By prescribing proportionate penalties for impurity-linked acts, it frames social order and personal accountability as part of dharma—supporting purification, restraint, and the reduction of demerit (pāpa) through regulated correction.