Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
सर्वत्र शूद्रे पादः स्याद् द्वित्रयं वैश्यभूपयोः विड्वराहखरोष्ट्राणां गोमायोः कपिकाकयोः
sarvatra śūdre pādaḥ syād dvitrayaṃ vaiśyabhūpayoḥ viḍvarāhakharoṣṭrāṇāṃ gomāyoḥ kapikākayoḥ
या सर्व प्रसंगांत शूद्रास दंडमानाचा चतुर्थांश; वैश्यास दोन भाग आणि राजा/क्षत्रियास तीन भाग दंड होय. हा नियम डुक्कर, गाढव व उंट यांच्या विष्ठा, गोमूत्र तसेच माकड व कावळ्याच्या मल-अशुचितेस लागू होतो.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Scaling of penalties/fines and impurity-related adjudication by varna/status in cases involving contact with specified impure substances; guidance for judges/householders on proportional punishment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Varna-wise penalty fractions for impurity offences (specified filth substances)","lookup_keywords":["daṇḍa-bheda","śūdra-pāda","vyavahāra","aśauca-dravya","go-mūtra"],"quick_summary":"Sets fractional penalties by social grade for offences connected with specified impure substances (animal excreta/filth). Useful as a quick rule for judicial scaling of punishment."}
Concept: Daṇḍa (penalty) must be proportioned to social responsibility/status while maintaining communal purity norms.
Application: Judicial/household decision-making: apply graded sanctions and reinforce avoidance/cleansing around impure substances.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: legal/penal measures and social gradations)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-judge or sabhā assembly weighing proportional penalties, with symbolic depiction of impure substances (animal droppings/urine) kept at a distance, emphasizing purity law and graded fines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, a royal sabhā with a dharmādhikārin holding palm-leaf records, attendants indicating measured fractions on a balance, impure substances shown symbolically outside the court boundary, earthy reds and greens, flat iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf court scene with a seated king and a learned judge, ornate balance scales showing fractional parts, stylized animals (boar, donkey, camel, monkey, crow) in small medallions as icons of the rule, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: judge pointing to a chart of penalty fractions (1/4, 2/?, 3/?), neat linework, minimal background, small labeled icons for the listed impurities, calm didactic mood.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtroom with scribes and litigants, a balance and written decree, marginal vignettes of the animals referenced, fine architectural interior, subdued palette with precise detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद् = स्यात् (द् before following voiced consonant); वैश्यभूपयोः, कपिकाकयोः are द्वन्द्व compounds in genitive dual; द्वित्रयम् treated as dvandva ‘two and three’ used idiomatically ‘two or three’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara and Prāyaścitta sequence)
FAQs
It gives a Dharmaśāstra-style rule for graded assessment of penalties (shares like one-quarter, two/three parts) by varṇa in cases connected with specified impurities (animal excreta and cow-urine).
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied jurisprudence—fine/penalty gradations, social categories, and impurity-related legal norms—showing its coverage of governance and law (rājadharma/vyavahāra) in addition to worship and philosophy.
By prescribing proportionate penalties for impurity-linked acts, it frames social order and personal accountability as part of dharma—supporting purification, restraint, and the reduction of demerit (pāpa) through regulated correction.