Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 35
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
स दण्डं प्राप्नुयान् मासं दण्ड्यः स्यात् प्राणितारने धान्यं दशभ्यः कुम्भेभ्यो हरतो ऽभ्यधिकं बधः
sa daṇḍaṃ prāpnuyān māsaṃ daṇḍyaḥ syāt prāṇitārane dhānyaṃ daśabhyaḥ kumbhebhyo harato 'bhyadhikaṃ badhaḥ
ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະຕ້ອງຮັບໂທດເປັນເວລາໜຶ່ງເດືອນ; ແລະໃນກໍລະນີທີ່ເຮັດເພື່ອຊ່ວຍຊີວິດສັດມີຊີວິດ ຈະຖືກລົງໂທດແຕ່ພຽງໂທດປັບ/ໂທດທົ່ວໄປ. ແຕ່ຜູ້ໃດລັກເຂົ້າເກີນສິບກຸມພະ (kumbha) ໂທດແມ່ນປະຫານຊີວິດ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s common dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Sentencing rules distinguishing minor penalties, mitigation contexts, and capital punishment thresholds for grain theft.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Penalty gradation: month-long punishment; threshold for execution in grain theft","lookup_keywords":["māsa-daṇḍa","prāṇitāraṇa","dhānya-steya","daśa-kumbha","vadha"],"quick_summary":"A baseline punishment is set at one month; special contexts are treated distinctly, while theft of grain beyond a specified quantity (over ten kumbhas) warrants execution."}
Concept: Proportional punishment with threshold-based escalation; protection of life-supporting resources as a dharmic imperative.
Application: Use measurable thresholds (like kumbha counts) to standardize sentencing and deter famine-inducing crimes.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Criminal Law and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A granary with measured kumbhas of grain; officials count vessels to determine whether theft exceeds ten kumbhas; the king pronounces sentence with stern authority.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, granary scene with large earthen kumbhas, officials counting, king in sabha delivering danda, dramatic but restrained palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with gold embellishments, symbolic row of kumbhas in foreground, attendants and scribe noting the threshold, emphasis on royal justice","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction of kumbha measurement and granary accounting, court scene with clear narrative sequencing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed granary interior with stacked vessels, accountants and guards, then court judgment scene, fine detailing and realistic textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: harataḥ 'abhyadhikam → harato 'bhyadhikam (विसर्ग-लोप)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (theft gradations and punishments)
FAQs
It gives a Dandaniti (juridical) rule: punishment scales with context (life-saving circumstances) and with quantity—stealing grain beyond ten kumbhas is treated as a capital offense.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—measures, thresholds, and graded penalties—showing it as a compendium of governance and legal administration.
It frames justice as dharmic regulation: protection of life mitigates culpability, while severe harm to social sustenance (large-scale grain theft) is treated as a grave adharma warranting the harshest consequence.