Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 36
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
भिषङ्मिथ्याचरन् दाप्यस्तिर्यक्षु प्रथमं दमम् मानुषे मध्यमं राजमानुषेषूत्तमन्तथा
bhiṣaṅmithyācaran dāpyastiryakṣu prathamaṃ damam mānuṣe madhyamaṃ rājamānuṣeṣūttamantathā
ਜੋ ਹਕੀਮ/ਵੈਦ ਧੋਖੇ ਨਾਲ ਇਲਾਜ ਕਰੇ, ਉਹ ਦੰਡਯੋਗ ਹੈ—ਪਸ਼ੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਹਿਲਾ (ਘੱਟ) ਦੰਡ, ਮਨੁੱਖਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੱਧਮ ਦੰਡ, ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜ-ਪੁਰਸ਼ਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਉੱਤਮ (ਸਰਵੋੱਚ) ਦੰਡ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s rajadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Establishes legal accountability for fraudulent medical practice with fines graded by the victim category (animals, humans, royal personnel), guiding state oversight of physicians.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Penalties for deceitful medical practice (bhiṣak-mithyācāra)","lookup_keywords":["bhiṣak","mithyācāra","daṇḍa-traya (first/middle/high)","tiryak (animals)","rāja-mānuṣa"],"quick_summary":"A physician who treats deceitfully is fined—lowest for harm involving animals, middle for humans, and highest for royal personnel—making medical ethics enforceable by law."}
Concept: Ahimsa and satya in professional duty: healing arts must not become a means of deceit; state enforces dharma through graded daṇḍa.
Application: Codify malpractice penalties; prioritize protection of vulnerable patients and state functionaries; deter fraudulent practitioners.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, ethics, and punishments)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A physician examining a patient while a royal officer investigates deceit; parallel vignettes show treatment of an animal, a human, and a royal guard, with fines graded accordingly.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, triptych composition: veterinarian scene, human clinic scene, royal infirmary scene; physician with medicine bowl; officer with palm-leaf record; bold colors and stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central physician with gold-highlighted medical bowl and herbs, patient on cot, royal attendant present, inscriptions indicating graded fines, ornate gold borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional medical-legal tableau: physician, patient, officer, and ledger; three small panels for animal/human/royal personnel; delicate lines and clear gestures.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed clinic interior with jars and herbs, physician taking pulse, officer questioning, royal guard in background, fine textiles and architectural detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhiṣaṅmithyācaran → bhiṣak mithyā caran; dāpyastiryakṣu → dāpyaḥ tiryakṣu; rājamānuṣeṣūttamam → rāja-mānuṣeṣu uttamam; (damam after madhyamam/uttamam is understood by ellipsis).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (professional misconduct and fines); Agni Purana (Ayurveda-related passages elsewhere: materia medica/therapy summaries)
FAQs
It gives a legal-ethical rule for medical practice: fraudulent or deceitful treatment by a physician is punishable by graded monetary fines depending on whether harm concerns animals, humans, or royal personnel.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical statecraft and jurisprudence—linking healthcare conduct (bhiṣak-dharma) with danda-niti (penal policy), showing the Purana’s coverage of governance, law, and professional ethics.
By deterring deceit in healing and protecting vulnerable beings, it upholds dharma; truthful medical conduct is treated as a moral duty, while fraud accrues demerit and warrants correction through punishment.