Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 3
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
शक्तस्थानीहमानस्य किञ्चिद्दत्वा पृथक् क्रिया न्यूनाधिकविभक्तानां धर्म्यश् च पितृना कृतः
śaktasthānīhamānasya kiñciddatvā pṛthak kriyā nyūnādhikavibhaktānāṃ dharmyaś ca pitṛnā kṛtaḥ
जो येथे समर्थ अवस्थेत उपस्थित आहे, त्याला काही अंश देऊन स्वतंत्र क्रिया (विधी) करावी. आणि जिथे कमी-अधिक वाटणी झाली असेल, तिथे पितरांनी ठरविलेल्या धर्मानुसार योग्य समायोजन करावे.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s dharma instructions to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determining when separate rites/offerings are required in inheritance contexts and how to correct inequitable divisions according to ancestral precedent.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Separate rite after due giving; dharmic correction for unequal division","lookup_keywords":["pitr-kriya","shraddha","unequal shares","separate rite","ancestral precedent"],"quick_summary":"A capable present heir should first give an appropriate portion and then perform a separate rite; if division occurred unequally, a dharmic rectification is to be made following forefathers’ established practice."}
Concept: Ritual and social order are maintained by giving due portions and performing expiatory/adjustive acts when distribution deviates from fairness.
Application: In family disputes tied to śrāddha/estate, ensure token/due offerings precede rites; if prior partition was skewed, perform corrective giving/rites per customary dharma.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Śrāddha & Pitṛ-kriyā (Ancestral rites and inheritance-related dharma)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha setting beside a domestic altar: an heir offers piṇḍa and water, then distributes a due portion to relatives; elders indicate correction of unequal shares.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style; śrāddha scene with banana-leaf offerings, water pot, sacred fire, heir in white cloth, elders gesturing to distribute portions, serene devotional atmosphere.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold; central performer of śrāddha with ornate halo-like emphasis, ritual vessels and offerings highlighted in gold, relatives receiving gifts, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style; clear instructional depiction of śrāddha steps—offering, gifting, then separate rite—fine linework, labeled feel without text.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; courtyard ritual with detailed utensils, attendants, relatives seated in rows, subtle expressions showing reconciliation and adjustment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शक्तस्थानीहमानस्य is treated as a compound chain: शक्त-स्थानी-ईहमानस्य (gen. sg.); किञ्चिद्दत्वा → किञ्चित् + दत्वा; न्यूनाधिकविभक्तानाम् → न्यून + अधिक + विभक्तानाम्; धर्म्यश् च → धर्म्यः + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (Śrāddha & dāya adjustments)
FAQs
It prescribes a procedural rule in pitṛ-related dharma: after giving a due portion, one should perform a distinct/separate rite, and if division of shares was unequal, a dharmic corrective allocation/act should be carried out according to ancestral precedent.
Beyond mythology, it records applied dharma-shastra: practical norms for family distribution (nyūnādhika-vibhāga), obligations of the capable present person (śakta-sthānī), and the linkage of legal-ritual correction to pitṛ-tradition—showing the text’s coverage of governance of household and ritual law.
By ensuring fair, dharmic adjustment in unequal allocations and performing the proper separate rite after giving what is due, one avoids doṣa (fault) connected with injustice and neglect of ancestral norms, thereby supporting pitṛ-prīti (ancestral satisfaction) and karmic purification.