Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 82
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
राज्ञान्यायेन यो दण्डो गृहीतो वरुणायतं विवेद्य दद्याद्विप्रेभ्यः स्वयं त्रिंशद्गुणीकृतं
rājñānyāyena yo daṇḍo gṛhīto varuṇāyataṃ vivedya dadyādviprebhyaḥ svayaṃ triṃśadguṇīkṛtaṃ
ರಾಜನು ನ್ಯಾಯವಿಧಾನದಂತೆ ವಸೂಲಿಸಿದ ದಂಡವನ್ನು ವರుణನ ಆಯತನ/ಅಧಿಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಧಿಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಸಿ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗೆ ನೀಡಬೇಕು; ನಂತರ ರಾಜನು ತಾನೇ ಅದನ್ನು ಮുപ്പತ್ತರಷ್ಟು ಮಾಡಿ (ಪ್ರಾಯಶ್ಚಿತ್ತವಾಗಿ) ಪಾವತಿಸಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s rājadharma teachings to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Fiscal-ritual accountability: fines collected by lawful procedure are to be formally reported to Varuṇa (as moral overseer of ṛta/justice), then donated to Brāhmaṇas; the king performs expiation by paying thirtyfold from his own resources.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Disposition of lawfully collected fines: reporting to Varuṇa and donation; king’s thirtyfold payment","lookup_keywords":["daṇḍa-viniyoga","Varuṇa-āyatana","brāhmaṇa-dāna","triṃśad-guṇa","rāja-prāyaścitta"],"quick_summary":"Fines levied through proper judicial process are treated as morally charged revenue: they are to be acknowledged before Varuṇa’s authority and given away as dāna, while the king undertakes a thirtyfold compensatory payment as a form of expiation and ethical restraint."}
Concept: Daṇḍa must be ethically ‘purified’: punishment is not mere revenue but a morally regulated act under ṛta (Varuṇa) and balanced by dāna and prāyaścitta.
Application: Separate punitive collections from royal profit; institute transparent reporting and charitable allocation, with personal royal accountability to prevent abuse of penal power.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma (Governance, Law, and Punishment)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Sacred abode/ritual-juridical locus
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king’s court treasury presents collected fines; a formal ‘reporting’ is made before Varuṇa’s shrine/authority; the fines are distributed to Brāhmaṇas, while the king offers a thirtyfold payment as expiation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with two scenes: royal accountants presenting fine records, then a Varuṇa shrine with the king offering water and documents, followed by brāhmaṇas receiving dāna; traditional palette and iconic deity depiction.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of Varuṇa seated with ornate crown and gold halo, the king offering a golden vessel and ledger, brāhmaṇas receiving coin bags; heavy gold-leaf work and temple arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting instructional sequence: treasury-to-shrine-to-dāna distribution, clear gestures of reporting and donation, delicate lines and subdued colors, emphasis on ethical procedure.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature showing a court procession to a shrine, the king presenting records, brāhmaṇas receiving alms, coin scales and scribes; architectural detail and narrative realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राज्ञान्यायेन = राज्ञा + न्यायेन; दद्याद्विप्रेभ्यः = दद्यात् + विप्रेभ्यः; त्रिंशद्गुणीकृतं = त्रिंशत् + गुणीकृतम् (t→d before g).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (danda-niti; fines and their handling)
FAQs
It gives a rājadharma rule on handling state-collected fines: after formal disclosure under Varuṇa’s moral-legal oversight, the fine is to be donated to Brāhmaṇas, and the ruler must make a thirtyfold personal restitution.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance norms—judicial fines, ethical accounting, and restitution—showing its coverage of ancient Indian law and administrative policy.
By placing fines under Varuṇa’s truth-order and requiring donation plus amplified restitution, the verse frames punishment-revenue as a moral liability that must be purified through transparent conduct and compensatory giving.