Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 57
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
समाप्नुयान्नरः पूर्वं दमं मध्यममेव वा द्रव्यमादाय वणिजामनर्घेणावरुन्धतां
samāpnuyānnaraḥ pūrvaṃ damaṃ madhyamameva vā dravyamādāya vaṇijāmanargheṇāvarundhatāṃ
മനുഷ്യൻ ആദ്യം മുൻകൂട്ടി നിശ്ചയിച്ച വിലയോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മധ്യമമായ (ന്യായമായ) വിലയോ നേടണം. സാധനം എടുത്ത ശേഷം അത്യധിക/അന്യായ വില ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടു വ്യാപാരികളെ തടയുകയോ നിർബന്ധിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യരുത്.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Commercial ethics and dispute avoidance: honor prior agreement or a fair median price; prohibit coercive hold-up pricing after taking goods.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Fair pricing: prior or median price; prohibition of coercive overpricing","lookup_keywords":["purva-mulya","madhyama-dama","vanij","anargha","avarundhata"],"quick_summary":"A buyer should pay the previously agreed price, or at least a fair middle price; after taking goods, one must not coerce merchants by demanding an excessive price."}
Concept: Satya and ṛju-vyavahāra in commerce: honoring agreements and avoiding exploitation.
Application: Use written/recorded prices; enforce rules against post-delivery renegotiation and extortionate pricing.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Law, Commerce, and Ethics of Trade)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: Marketplace
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A merchant hands over goods; a buyer is shown paying the agreed or fair middle price while an official prevents coercive overpricing and records the transaction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, merchant with bundles and balance, buyer offering coins, official mediating with palm-leaf ledger, strong outlines and warm tones, orderly marketplace.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, merchant and buyer under ornate arch, gold-leaf coins and jewelry, official with scroll indicating ‘fair price’, rich reds/greens, symmetrical devotional-like prosperity aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional commerce scene: price board showing ‘previous’ and ‘middle’ price, buyer paying correctly, official stopping coercion gesture, fine lines and soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed shopfront with textiles/spices, buyer counting coins, merchant attentive, qazi/official seated with scribe, nuanced expressions and realistic objects."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समाप्नुयान् = समाप्नुयात् + (sandhi before) नरः; द्रव्यमादाय = द्रव्यम् + आदाय; अनर्घेणावरुन्धताम् = अनर्घेण + अवरुन्धताम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (trade conduct and penalties)
FAQs
It imparts commercial-legal guidance (vyavahāra): secure the agreed or fair middle price, and do not exploit merchants by demanding an excessive price after taking goods.
Beyond theology and ritual, it preserves practical norms of market conduct and legal-ethical commerce, showing the Purana’s coverage of governance, law, and economic life.
Fair dealing and non-exploitation are treated as dharmic conduct; avoiding coercive pricing supports righteous livelihood and reduces the karmic harm associated with greed and injustice.