Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 2
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
अभिगन्तास्मि भगिनीम्मातरं वा तवेति च शपन्तं दापयेद्राजा पञ्चविंशतिकं दमं
abhigantāsmi bhaginīmmātaraṃ vā taveti ca śapantaṃ dāpayedrājā pañcaviṃśatikaṃ damaṃ
တစ်ဦးဦးက ကျိန်ဆိုနေစဉ် “သင့်ညီမကို သို့မဟုတ် သင့်မိခင်ကို ငါ လွန်ကျူးမည်” ဟု ပြောဆိုလျှင်၊ မင်းက ထိုကျိန်ဆိုသူအား ပဏ ၂၅ ဒဏ်ကြေး ပေးဆောင်စေရမည်။
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in rajadharma/vyavahāra topics)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Penalizes obscene/incest-threatening speech uttered during oaths; guides courts to treat such utterances as punishable verbal misconduct with a fixed fine.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Fine for obscene oath-threat involving mother/sister","lookup_keywords":["shapatha","vak-parushya","matr","bhagini","panchavimshatika dama"],"quick_summary":"If, while swearing, a person utters a threat of sexual violation against another’s mother or sister, the king imposes a fixed fine of twenty-five paṇas."}
Concept: Speech that violates kinship sanctity and public decency is adharma and disrupts social order, especially in solemn oath contexts.
Application: Courts should sanction obscene oath-speech to preserve the sanctity of testimony and prevent escalation into violence or sexual crime.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Judicial procedure and fines)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a judicial setting, an oath-taker blurts an obscene threat; the king/judge immediately orders a twenty-five paṇa fine, with scribes recording and guards enforcing decorum.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: solemn oath scene with sacred fire or oath-symbol, offender speaking rashly, king/judge stern, attendants restraining, scribe writing fine, strong moral drama in traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ceremonial court with gold accents, oath-taker before judge, coin fine prominently shown, emphasis on sanctity and authority, ornate borders and jewelry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional court vignette—oath gesture, judge’s directive, clerk tallying 25 coins, clear narrative sequencing, soft colors and precise lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate courtroom moment, expressive faces showing shock, judge signaling penalty, clerk counting coins, detailed textiles and architectural framing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ‘अभिगन्तास्मि’ resolved as ‘अभिगन्ता अस्मि’. ‘भगिनीम्मातरं’ resolved as ‘भगिनीम् मातरम्’. ‘दापयेद्राजा’ resolved as ‘दापयेत् राजा’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (vak-parushya offences and fines)
FAQs
It gives a concrete vyavahāra rule: abusive/sexually violent oath-formulas directed at a person’s female relatives are punishable by a fixed royal fine of twenty-five.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—codifying courtroom speech, oath-usage, and standardized fines—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and jurisprudence.
It treats harmful speech and immoral intent expressed in oaths as adharma; the fine acts as a deterrent and a form of social-ethical expiation enforced by royal authority.