Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 25
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
क्षत्रियस्याप्नुयाद्वैश्यः साहसं पूर्वमेव तु शूद्रः क्षत्रियमाक्रुश्य जिह्वाच्छेदनमाप्नुयात्
kṣatriyasyāpnuyādvaiśyaḥ sāhasaṃ pūrvameva tu śūdraḥ kṣatriyamākruśya jihvācchedanamāpnuyāt
क्षत्रियस्यापराधे वैश्यः पूर्वोक्तं साहसदण्डमाप्नुयात्; शूद्रः क्षत्रियमाक्रुश्य जिह्वाच्छेदनदण्डमर्हति।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s dharma/raja-nīti sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Determines penalties for offences against a kṣatriya: apply sāhasa for a vaiśya; impose corporal punishment (tongue-cutting) for a śūdra’s verbal abuse—used in criminal adjudication.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Penalty for offences against a Kṣatriya (sāhasa; tongue-cutting for śūdra reviling)","lookup_keywords":["kṣatriya-apacāra","sāhasa","jihvā-cchedana","ākrośa","corporal punishment"],"quick_summary":"Directs that a vaiśya offending against a kṣatriya receives the previously defined sāhasa penalty; a śūdra who reviles a kṣatriya incurs tongue-cutting—showing escalation from monetary/assault penalties to corporal sanction."}
Concept: Protection of royal/warrior authority through daṇḍa; speech as punishable harm when directed at protected ranks.
Application: In a case file: (1) classify offender varṇa, (2) identify target as kṣatriya, (3) apply sāhasa schedule for vaiśya; for śūdra’s ākrośa, apply corporal sanction as stated.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: criminal law and punishments)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A judicial scene: the judge cites the sāhasa rule for a vaiśya offender; separately, a śūdra accused of reviling a kṣatriya faces a corporal sentence, with guards present.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic court with stern king, kṣatriya in armor-like attire, two accused figures, symbolic depiction of 'jihvā-ccheda' via a warning gesture and a ritual knife held by an officer (non-gory), strong reds and ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-ornamented throne, kṣatriya with sword at side, coin tray for sāhasa fine, officer holding a small blade as emblem of corporal law, devotional-royal grandeur","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear separation into two panels: left shows fine assessment (sāhasa) with ledger; right shows corporal sentence iconographically (no gore), emphasizing legal instruction","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with guards, a qazi-like judge analog in Indian court setting, expressive accused, precise objects: ledger, coin stacks, ceremonial blade"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kṣatriyasya+āpnuyāt → kṣatriyasyāpnuyāt; āpnuyāt+vaiśyaḥ → āpnuyādvaiśyaḥ; kṣatriyam+ākruśya → kṣatriyamākruśya; jihvā+cchedanam → jihvācchedanam; chedanam+āpnuyāt → chedanamāpnuyāt
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (definition and gradations of sāhasa; insult/assault penalties)
FAQs
It conveys daṇḍa-vidhāna (penal jurisprudence): how sāhasa (violent wrongdoing) and verbal abuse are to be punished, differentiated by the offender’s varṇa and the victim’s status.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical statecraft and legal norms (vyavahāra/daṇḍanīti), showing it as a compendium that also addresses governance, crime, and social regulation.
It frames abusive speech and violence as serious adharma with tangible consequences, reinforcing karmic accountability and the dharmic duty of rulers to restrain harm through proportionate punishment.