Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 13
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
उद्गूर्णे हस्तपादे तु दशविंशतिकौ दमौ परस्परन्तु सर्वेषां शास्त्रे मध्यमसाहसः
udgūrṇe hastapāde tu daśaviṃśatikau damau parasparantu sarveṣāṃ śāstre madhyamasāhasaḥ
कोणी मारण्यासाठी हात किंवा पाय उगारल्यास दंड दहा किंवा वीस दाम; परंतु सर्व पक्षांत परस्पर असे झाल्यास शास्त्रानुसार ते ‘मध्यम-साहस’ ठरते।
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha on rajadharma/penal law)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Magistrates and village/royal courts can grade assault by intent (raising hand/foot) and context (mutual affray) to set standardized fines and avoid arbitrary punishment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Madhyama-sāhasa: fine for raised hand/foot and mutual affray","lookup_keywords":["udgūrṇa-hasta","udgūrṇa-pāda","daṇḍa (fine)","madhyama-sāhasa","mutual assault"],"quick_summary":"Merely raising the hand or foot to strike attracts a small fine; when the act is mutual among parties, it is classified under the middle grade of violent offence (madhyama-sāhasa) for legal handling."}
Concept: Daṇḍanīti calibrates punishment by act, intent, and reciprocity to preserve social order.
Application: Courts distinguish threat/attempt from completed injury; mutual fights are treated as a higher category to discourage brawls.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Legal penalties and grades of assault)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A courtroom scene where two men raise hand/foot to strike; the judge records a small fine, then notes mutual affray as madhyama-sāhasa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, royal sabhā with a seated rājā-judge, palm-leaf clerk, two disputants with raised hands, restrained earthy palette, clear gesture language, traditional ornaments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gilded court setting with ornate throne, judge holding daṇḍa-symbol, two litigants mid-gesture, gold leaf highlights on jewelry and pillars, frontal composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional legal tableau: judge, scribe, fine amounts shown on palm-leaf, two parties in mutual quarrel, delicate lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with qazi-like judge and scribes, two men in a scuffle gesture, marginal notes indicating fines, architectural depth and patterned textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परस्परन्तु → परस्परम् + तु. हस्तपादे treated as dvandva ‘हस्त-पाद’ in locative dual. मध्यमसाहसः analyzed as कर्मधारय compound मध्यम+साहस.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (Vyavahāra/Daṇḍanīti: sāhasa gradations and fines)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of dandanīti: merely raising the hand/foot to strike is punishable by a graded monetary fine (10 or 20 dāmas), and mutual aggression is treated under the category of madhyama-sāhasa.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance material—fine schedules, legal categories (sāhasa), and standards for adjudicating interpersonal violence—showing its scope as a compendium of statecraft and jurisprudence.
By prescribing proportionate punishment for violent intent and mutual fighting, it supports dharma through restraint of harm (ahiṃsā) and social order; curbing aggression reduces negative karma arising from injury and enmity.