Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 31
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
कन्याया दूषणञ्चैव वार्धुष्यं व्रतलोपनं तडागारामदाराणामपत्यस्य च विक्रियः
kanyāyā dūṣaṇañcaiva vārdhuṣyaṃ vratalopanaṃ taḍāgārāmadārāṇāmapatyasya ca vikriyaḥ
ಕನ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ದೂಷಿಸುವುದು/ಅಪಮಾನಿಸುವುದು; ವಾರ್ಧುಷ್ಯ (ಬಡ್ಡಿ ವ್ಯವಹಾರ); ವ್ರತಲೋಪನ; ಹಾಗೂ ಕೆರೆಗಳು, ಆರಾಮಗಳು (ಉಪವನಗಳು), ಪತ್ನಿ ಮತ್ತು ಸಂತಾನವನ್ನು ಮಾರಾಟ ಮಾಡುವುದು—ಇವುಗಳೂ ಪಾಪಕರ್ಮಗಳೆಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dharma sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethical-legal identification of sinful transactions and social harms (dishonoring a maiden, usury, vow-breaking, commodifying public goods and family members) for governance, adjudication, and personal restraint.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nindita-vyavahāra: usury, vow-breaking, and illicit sales","lookup_keywords":["kanyā-dūṣaṇa","vārddhuṣya","vrata-lopa","taḍāga-vikraya","apatya-vikraya"],"quick_summary":"Condemns acts that exploit the vulnerable or corrupt social trust: dishonoring a maiden, usury, breaking vows, and selling communal resources (tanks, groves) or persons (wife, offspring)."}
Concept: Dharma restrains profit-seeking where it becomes exploitation or commodification of persons and public welfare assets; vows are moral contracts sustaining inner integrity.
Application: Avoid predatory lending, protect women and dependents, treat water/grove endowments as public trust, and keep vrata commitments as binding ethical discipline.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Raja-dharma (Social and legal prohibitions; sinful transactions)
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral-legal montage: a maiden being protected by elders; a moneylender weighing coins (usury) contrasted with fair exchange; a vow-taker breaking a ritual thread; a public tank and grove marked as community property; a judge condemning the sale of wife/children.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative panels with a dharma-judge; village tank with lotus, grove with flowering trees; moneylender scene; elders shielding a maiden; strong outlines, moral symbolism, community setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central dharma-deity/ācārya with gold halo; surrounding icons: taḍāga, ārāma, coin scales, vrata-kalasha; emphasis on prohibition of selling persons; rich gold and red palette.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic civic scene: labeled public works (tank, grove) and marketplace usury; judge writing decree; soft colors, clarity of social instruction.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bazaar and civic landscape with tank and garden; moneylender and petitioners before a magistrate; fine architectural detail, restrained ethical tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dūṣaṇañcaiva → dūṣaṇam ca eva; taḍāgārāmadārāṇām → taḍāga-ārāma-dārāṇām.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 168 (sinful acts and social prohibitions)
FAQs
It lists specific pāpa (sinful) actions to be avoided—especially unethical transactions (vikraya) and breaches of vrata—functioning as dharma guidance rather than a ritual procedure.
By cataloging social-legal prohibitions (usury, vow-breaking, and trafficking/alienation of persons and communal resources like tanks and groves), it shows the text’s dharma-shastra coverage alongside its many other disciplines.
These acts are framed as generating demerit (pāpa) because they violate personal integrity, sacred vows, and social welfare—thereby obstructing spiritual merit and righteous living (dharma).