Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 27
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
आजीवन् स्वेच्छया दण्ड्यो दाप्यस्तच्चापि सोदयं याचितावाहितन्यासे निक्षेपेष्वप्ययं विधिः
ājīvan svecchayā daṇḍyo dāpyastaccāpi sodayaṃ yācitāvāhitanyāse nikṣepeṣvapyayaṃ vidhiḥ
ಜೀವಂತವಾಗಿರುವಾಗಲೇ ಯಾರು ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ ನಿಕ್ಷೇಪ/ಜಮಾವನ್ನು ಅಪಹರಿಸುತ್ತಾನೋ, ಅವನು ದಂಡನೀಯನು; ಆ ದ್ರವ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಾಭ/ವೃದ್ಧಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕೂಡ ಮರಳಿ ಕೊಡಬೇಕು. ಇದೇ ವಿಧಿ ಯಾಚಿತ-ನ್ಯಾಸ, ಆವಹಿತ-ನ್ಯಾಸ ಹಾಗೂ ಇತರ ನಿಕ್ಷೇಪಗಳಿಗೂ ಅನ್ವಯಿಸುತ್ತದೆ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as is the dominant frame of the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Rule for embezzlement of deposits: impose fine and compel restitution with increment (profit/interest); extends uniformly to yācita-nyāsa, āvahita-nyāsa, and nikṣepa categories.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nyāsa/Nikṣepa Misappropriation: Fine + Restitution with Increment","lookup_keywords":["nikṣepa","nyāsa","yācita-nyāsa","āvahita-nyāsa","sodaya restitution"],"quick_summary":"Voluntary misappropriation of a deposit while the owner is alive entails danda (fine) and repayment with accrued increment; the same standard applies across deposit subtypes."}
Concept: Trust (viśvāsa) as a protected social good; breach triggers both punishment and restorative compensation including gains derived.
Application: For deposit disputes: classify deposit type; compute increment/profit (sodaya); order restitution plus fine to deter conversion.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharma-shastra: civil/criminal law, deposits and pledges)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: dharmya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A custodian secretly uses entrusted coins; later, in court, he returns the principal plus additional profit while the judge imposes a fine; scribes record yācita and āvahita deposit types.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, moral narrative: custodian hiding coins, then public sabhā with judge, restitution pile showing extra coins (increment), strong gestures and clear storytelling","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-accented coin heaps, formal judge on throne-like seat, offender offering restitution with added amount, rich ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, didactic layout with labeled deposit categories (yācita/āvahita/nikṣepa), fine outlines, emphasis on accounting of increment","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed money bags and ledger, court scene with witnesses, offender presenting repayment with surplus, refined architectural backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ājīvan svecchayā = ājīvan + sva-icchayā; dāpyastaccāpi = dāpyaḥ + tat + ca + api; sodayaṃ = sa-udayam; yācitāvāhitanyāse = yācita-āvāhita-nyāse; nikṣepeṣvapy = nikṣepeṣu + api.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253.25-26 (deposit and liability rules)
FAQs
It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (practical jurisprudence): a depositor’s protection and the custodian’s liability—misappropriation requires punishment plus restitution with the accrued increment (udaya).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves dharmaśāstra-style civil law—defining categories of deposits (yācita-nyāsa, āvahita-nyāsa, nikṣepa) and prescribing penalties and repayment rules, showing its wide coverage of governance and social order.
Protecting entrusted property is treated as dharma; voluntary breach is adharma that incurs both worldly penalty (daṇḍa) and negative karma, while restitution (with udaya) is a corrective act supporting ethical purification and social trust.