Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 32
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
अप्रजास्त्रीधनं भ्रत्तुर्ब्राह्म्यादिषु चतुर्ष्वपि दुहितृणां प्रसूता चेच्छ्रेषे तु पितृगामि तत्
aprajāstrīdhanaṃ bhratturbrāhmyādiṣu caturṣvapi duhitṛṇāṃ prasūtā cecchreṣe tu pitṛgāmi tat
ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಸಂತಾನವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಮೃತಳಾದರೆ, ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಾದಿ ನಾಲ್ಕು ವಿವಾಹರೂಪಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಅವಳ ಸ್ತ್ರೀಧನ ಪತಿಗೇ ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವಳು ಪುತ್ರಿಯರನ್ನು ಹೆತ್ತಿದ್ದರೆ ಅದು ಪುತ್ರಿಯರಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ; ‘ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ’ ರೂಪಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಅದು ತಂದೆಗೆ ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s dharma instruction mode)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Rules for succession of strīdhana (woman’s separate property) depending on issue and marriage form; used in inheritance adjudication and family settlements.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Rule","entry_title":"Strīdhana succession on wife’s death (aprajā/duhitṛ cases; brāhma-ādi vivāha)","lookup_keywords":["strīdhana","inheritance","aprajā","brāhma vivāha","duhitṛ"],"quick_summary":"If a woman dies childless, strīdhana generally goes to the husband; if she has daughters, it goes to them. In ‘superior’ marriage forms, a special rule routes it to the father."}
Concept: Property-rights are dharma-governed and vary by relational proximity and saṃskāra (marriage form).
Application: Drafting wills/settlements consistent with smṛti norms; resolving disputes over a deceased woman’s assets.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Rajadharma (Inheritance and Stridhana rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-sabhā (court) where elders decide the succession of a deceased woman’s strīdhana among husband, daughters, and father, with marriage-form symbols (brāhma-ādi) indicated.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, dharma-sabhā interior, seated brāhmaṇa jurists with palm-leaf manuscripts, grieving husband and daughters, subdued earth pigments, clear gesture-based adjudication.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate court scene with gold-leaf highlights on jewelry and manuscripts, central judge-figure, husband and daughters presented with property tokens, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework showing family tree and inheritance flow, court clerks recording, calm instructional tableau, soft colors and delicate shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed legal assembly with carpets and registers, father and husband disputing respectfully, daughters present, precise architectural framing and documentary realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भ्रत्तुर्ब्राह्म्यादिषु → भर्तुः ब्राह्म्यादिषु; चतुर्ष्वपि → चतुर्षु अपि; चेच्छ्रेषे → चेत् श्रेष्ठे; पितृगामि तत् → पितृगामि तत् (no change).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (Vyavahāra/Rājadharma section on strīdhana and inheritance)
FAQs
It gives a technical dharma-śāstra rule for succession: how a woman’s strīdhana is inherited depending on whether she has children and depending on the category of marriage (brāhma and related ‘higher’ forms).
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves practical jurisprudence—here, family law on property and inheritance—showing its wide scope as a compendium of governance and social regulation (rajadharma/dharma-śāstra).
By prescribing rightful heirs for strīdhana, the text frames property transfer as a dharmic act: proper succession avoids injustice and social disorder (adharma), supporting household harmony and the ethical order that sustains good karma.