Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 8

Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्

On the Division of Inheritance

Devanagari script

विभक्तेषु सुतो जातः सवर्णायां विभागभाक् दृश्याद्वा तद्विभागः स्यादायव्ययविशोधितात्

Transliteration

vibhakteṣu suto jātaḥ savarṇāyāṃ vibhāgabhāk dṛśyādvā tadvibhāgaḥ syādāyavyayaviśodhitāt

Translation

ବିଭାଗ ପରେ ସମବର୍ଣ୍ଣା ସ୍ତ୍ରୀରୁ ଜନ୍ମିତ ପୁତ୍ର ମଧ୍ୟ ଭାଗର ଅଧିକାରୀ। ନଚେତ୍ ଆୟ-ବ୍ୟୟ କମାଇ ଯେ ଦୃଶ୍ୟମାନ ଶେଷ ରହେ, ସେଠାରୁ ତାହାର ଭାଗ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧାରିତ ହେବ।

Word by Word

• vibhakteṣu: in/after the division
• vibhakteṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√bhaj (धातु) + kta (क्त) → vibhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); PPP used substantively ‘when (shares are) divided’

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• jātaḥ: born
• jātaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sa-varṇāyām: in (a wife) of the same caste/class
• sa-varṇāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘in a woman of the same varṇa’

• vibhāga-bhāk: entitled to a share
• vibhāga-bhāk: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāj (प्रातिपदिक from √bhaj)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ‘share-taking/entitled to a share’

• dṛśyāt: should be considered/seen
• dṛśyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada/Parasmaipada usage varies; sense ‘should be seen/considered’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)

• tat-vibhāgaḥ: that share/division
• tat-vibhāgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘that division/share’

• syāt: should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• āya-vyaya-viśodhitāt: from (what is) adjusted after income and expenses
• āya-vyaya-viśodhitāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āya (प्रातिपदिक) + vyaya (प्रातिपदिक) + viśodhita (vi-√śudh, क्त)
• Form: Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa compound ‘from (the amount) purified/adjusted by income and expenditure’

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in a dharma/legal compendium style)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: dharmya

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: dṛśyādvā = dṛśyāt + vā; tadvibhāgaḥ = tat + vibhāgaḥ; syādāyavyayaviśodhitāt = syāt + āya-vyaya-viśodhitāt.

Characters & Entities

• Putra (son)
• Savarnā (same-varṇa wife)
• Vibhāga (partition)
• Āya (income)
• Vyaya (expenditure)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts legal-technical guidance on inheritance: a son born after an estate has been partitioned can still receive a share, calculated from the remaining assets after accounting for income and expenses.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical dharma topics such as civil law—partition, eligibility for shares, and financial accounting—showing its scope as a broad compendium of governance and social regulation.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By prescribing fair allocation and transparent accounting, the verse frames inheritance as dharma: just conduct reduces conflict and supports family order, which is treated as a meritorious, harmony-preserving duty.