Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 2
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
राज्ञाधमर्णिको दाप्यः साधिताद्दशकं स्मृतम् पञ्चकन्तु शतं दाप्यः प्राप्तार्थो ह्य् उत्तमर्णकः
rājñādhamarṇiko dāpyaḥ sādhitāddaśakaṃ smṛtam pañcakantu śataṃ dāpyaḥ prāptārtho hy uttamarṇakaḥ
Por ordem do rei, o devedor será compelido a pagar; ensina-se que, ao recuperar-se a dívida, deve tomar-se um décimo. Porém, por cada cem, deve pagar-se cinco (isto é, cinco por cento), pois o credor de fato obteve o que lhe é devido.
Lord Agni (traditionally instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"State-enforced debt recovery with standardized collection charges/fees: defining what portion is taken upon successful recovery and a reduced levy when the creditor has already obtained the principal.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Royal recovery levy in debt enforcement","lookup_keywords":["raja order","debt recovery fee","dashaka (tenth)","panchaka per shata","vyavahara fines"],"quick_summary":"When the king enforces recovery from a debtor, a standardized levy is applied (a tenth in one stated condition; alternatively five per hundred in another), regulating state costs/penalties around successful collection."}
Concept: Measured danda: enforcement is legitimate but bounded by stated fractions, aligning punishment/fees with proportionality.
Application: Court schedules for enforcement fees; preventing extortion by fixing predictable percentages in state-assisted recovery.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Judicial Procedure, Debts and Fines)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal officer executes a recovery order: debtor pays, creditor receives, and a fixed fraction is set aside as the king’s levy; a scale and counting board show the percentage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, enforcement scene with royal seal, officer collecting coins, three-part division (creditor share, king’s levy, remainder), stylized numerals and balance scale.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted treasury portion separated from creditor’s pile, king’s insignia on a document, rich ornamentation emphasizing lawful authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear didactic depiction of fractions (1/10 and 5/100) beside coin stacks, scribe annotating, calm administrative setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, accountants tallying coins, officer holding a sealed order, creditor and debtor seated, precise rendering of coin piles indicating percentages."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राज्ञा+अधमर्णिकः→राज्ञाधमर्णिको; साधितात्+दशकम्→साधिताद्दशकम्; पञ्चकम्+तु→पञ्चकन्तु; हि+उत्तमर्णकः→ह्युत्तमर्णकः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (debt recovery and debtor handling); Agni Purana 252 (interest and commercial regulation context)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of debt-recovery under royal enforcement: when the king compels payment, a specified fraction (a ‘tenth’ in one case, and ‘five per hundred’ in another) is assessed as the due charge/levy connected with recovery.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical Rajadharma: procedures of courts, debts, and state exactions—showing the Purana’s coverage of governance and civil law alongside ritual and cosmology.
It frames repayment and lawful enforcement as dharmic order: debts should be settled, coercion is regulated by rule, and the king’s action is bounded by prescribed, non-arbitrary charges—supporting social justice and moral accountability.