Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 62
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
प्रसह्य घातिनश् चैव शूलमारोपयेन्नरान् उत्क्षेपकग्रन्थिभेदौ करसन्दंशहीनकौ
prasahya ghātinaś caiva śūlamāropayennarān utkṣepakagranthibhedau karasandaṃśahīnakau
ਜੋ ਲੋਕ ਜ਼ਬਰਦਸਤੀ ਹਮਲਾ/ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਫੜ ਕੇ ਸ਼ੂਲ ਉੱਤੇ ਚੜ੍ਹਾਇਆ ਜਾਵੇ। ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਉਤ્ક੍ਸ਼ੇਪਕ’ ਅਤੇ ‘ਗ੍ਰੰਥਿਭੇਦ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਦੰਡ, ਅਤੇ ਸੰਡੰਸ਼ ਨਾਲ ਹੱਥਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਵੰਚਿਤ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਵੀ ਵਿਧਿਤ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, the Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Penal code for violent offenders: coercive seizure and exemplary corporal/capital punishments (impalement; named mutilation penalties) as deterrence and state control.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Punishments for Violent Assault: Impalement and Mutilation Penalties","lookup_keywords":["prasahya (forcibly)","ghatin (violent assailant)","shula (impalement)","utksepaka","granthi-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Violent assailants are to be seized and punished with severe exemplary penalties such as impalement and specified mutilation punishments (including hand-removal by pincers), functioning as deterrent state coercion."}
Weapon Type: Shula (stake/impalement implement) as punitive instrument (not battlefield weapon here).
Concept: Protection of society may warrant harsh danda against violent harm-doers; punishment is framed as deterrence and removal of threat.
Application: In comparative legal history, classify penalties by purpose (deterrence/incapacitation) and by offence severity (violent assault).
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda / Raja-niti (Punishments and coercive measures)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"State guards forcibly seize a violent assailant; a grim punitive setting shows a stake (shula) and officials administering named penalties (symbolically indicated rather than graphic).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stern guards restraining a criminal; a tall stake shown as a symbolic emblem of punishment; officials with staffs; avoid gore, emphasize deterrent symbolism, dark reds and browns with strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: royal justice scene with the shula depicted as an icon-like vertical element; gold-highlighted royal insignia; the condemned shown bound, punishment implied rather than explicit; ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic panel listing punishments—utksepaka, granthi-bheda, hand-deprivation—illustrated with restrained symbolic motifs (pincers, bound hands, stake), fine lines and muted tones.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: guards capturing a violent offender in a bazaar edge; a distant punitive post shown; officials and onlookers; detailed textiles and architecture, minimal explicit violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"stern","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शूलमारोपयेत् = शूलम् + आरोपयेत्; घातिनश् = घातिनः (before consonant); चैव = च + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (danda for violent crimes; coercive measures)
FAQs
It imparts danda-vidhi (penal/judicial procedure): specific named punishments for violent offenders, including impalement (śūla) and other codified punitive acts (utkṣepaka, granthi-bheda), plus mutilation by instruments (sandaṃśa).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical statecraft—criminal classification and penalties—showing it functions as a compendium of governance (rāja-dharma/danda-nīti) alongside ritual, arts, and other sciences.
In Purāṇic rāja-dharma, enforcing proportionate punishment is presented as the king’s dharma: it restrains adharma, protects society, and is treated as a duty that sustains order (dharma) and mitigates collective harm.