Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
मध्यमः पञ्च विज्ञेयः सहस्रमपि चोत्तमः चौरैर् अमूषितो यस्तु मूषितो ऽस्मीति भाषते
madhyamaḥ pañca vijñeyaḥ sahasramapi cottamaḥ caurair amūṣito yastu mūṣito 'smīti bhāṣate
മധ്യമ ദണ്ഡം അഞ്ചുനൂറെന്ന് അറിയണം; ഉത്തമ ദണ്ഡം ആയിരം. കള്ളന്മാർ കൊള്ളയടിക്കാതിരുന്നിട്ടും ‘ഞാൻ കൊള്ളയടിക്കപ്പെട്ടു’ എന്നു പറയുന്നവനും ദണ്ഡനീയനാണ്.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s rajadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Applying graded penalties and deterring fraudulent claims of theft in judicial proceedings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāhasa fine gradations (middle 500, highest 1000) and punishment for false theft-claim","lookup_keywords":["madhyama sāhasa","uttama sāhasa","pañca-śata","sahasra","mithyā cora-mūṣita"],"quick_summary":"Fixes higher tiers of sāhasa fines (500 and 1000) and states that a person falsely claiming robbery is punishable, protecting courts from fabricated complaints."}
Concept: Satya (truthfulness) in litigation; false accusation is itself adharma and harms social trust.
Application: Judges should penalize fabricated theft reports to prevent misuse of law and harassment of innocents.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Punishments, and Judicial Procedure)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A litigant points dramatically claiming robbery; the judge and scribe examine evidence; behind, thieves lurk as a contrasting vignette; a board shows fine tiers: 500 and 1000.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split narrative: left a claimant before the judge, right shadowy thieves in stylized form, bold lines, expressive gestures, a scribe with palm-leaf records, fine tiers indicated symbolically by stacked coin heaps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, judge enthroned with gold ornamentation, claimant with raised hand, coin heaps labeled 500 and 1000, rich textiles and architectural frame, gold leaf emphasizing authority and law.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic court scene with clear labels for madhyama and uttama sāhasa, calm judge, attentive clerk, claimant under scrutiny, soft palette and precise detailing of ledger and seals.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtroom with meticulous faces and costumes, claimant presenting a complaint, officials checking witnesses, marginal note panels showing '500' and '1000' fine tiers, detailed coin rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सहस्रमपि → सहस्रम् अपि; चोत्तमः → च उत्तमः; चौरैर् → चौरैः; यस्तु → यः तु; मूषितो ऽस्मीति → मूषितः अस्मि इति.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226.4 (first sāhasa fine); Agni Purana 226.6–226.7 (false statements and false testimony penalties)
FAQs
It imparts juridical grading of fines (middle and highest) and establishes liability for making a false claim of having been robbed—an applied rule of vyavahāra (legal procedure).
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance material—criminal classification, monetary penalties, and evidentiary/statement-based offences—showing its coverage of statecraft and law.
False declarations are treated as adharma: they corrupt justice, harm others through deception, and accrue negative karma; truthful speech supports social order and dharmic merit.