Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 16
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
करपाददतो भङ्गे च्छेदने कर्णनासयोः मध्यो दण्डो व्रणोद्भेदे मृतकल्पहते तथा
karapādadato bhaṅge cchedane karṇanāsayoḥ madhyo daṇḍo vraṇodbhede mṛtakalpahate tathā
Prescreve-se punição de grau médio para a fratura da mão, do pé ou dos dentes; para o corte da orelha ou do nariz; e igualmente para a reabertura (rompimento) de uma ferida, e para a agressão que deixa a pessoa “como morta”.
Lord Agni (teaching to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Supports medico-legal classification of grievous injuries (fractures, amputations of ear/nose, wound bursting, near-fatal assault) to determine ‘middle’ punishment and guide surgical attention.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Madhya-daṇḍa for fractures, ear/nose cutting, wound bursting, and near-fatal assault","lookup_keywords":["bhanga (fracture)","karṇa-nāsā-cchedana","vraṇod-bheda","mṛtakalpa-hata","madhya-daṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Fractures of hand/foot/teeth, mutilation of ear or nose, reopening/bursting of wounds, and assaults rendering one near-dead are treated as middle-grade offences, bridging medical severity with legal penalty."}
Concept: Bodily wholeness is a protected good; mutilation and life-threatening harm demand escalated sanction.
Application: Courts treat disfigurement and near-fatal harm as grievous; physicians provide injury classification for sentencing and compensation.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Shalya-tantra (Surgical and medico-legal injury classification)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A physician-examiner and judge assess grievous injuries: a fractured limb, broken teeth, a severed ear/nose, and a reopened wound; the judge pronounces madhya-daṇḍa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic yet clinical tableau: healer with bandages and herbs, victim with splinted limb, judge in sabhā; strong reds for wounds, traditional medical implements","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central judge with gold halo-like arch, flanked by healer and injured person; symbolic depiction of ear/nose mutilation and splinted hand/foot; gold embellishments on court pillars","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, technical medico-legal scene: labeled injury types (bhanga, cchedana, vraṇod-bheda), healer demonstrating bandaging and splinting; refined linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court with a hakim presenting injury evidence; detailed portrayal of splints and bandages; subdued palette with precise anatomy cues"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: च्छेदने reflects sandhi from च्छेदने (after preceding word ending in vowel/consonant; written with doubled छ). व्रणोद्भेदे → व्रण + उद्भेदे. मृतकल्पहते → मृत-कल्प-हते.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (sāhasa gradation); Agni Purana (Ayurveda/Śalya-tantra portions on vraṇa and bhagna—chapter numbering varies by recension)
FAQs
It gives a medico-legal grading of bodily injuries (fracture, amputation of ear/nose, bursting of wounds, near-fatal assault) and assigns the corresponding “middle” tier of punishment (madhya-daṇḍa).
By combining practical trauma terminology (vraṇa, bhaṅga, cchedana) with statecraft/legal procedure (daṇḍa), it shows the Agni Purana’s coverage of both Ayurveda (injury science) and governance/justice (punishment gradation).
It frames bodily harm as a punishable adharma: enforcing proportionate penalties is presented as a dharmic duty of rulership, restraining violence and generating social order (dharma) rather than unchecked karma-producing injury.