Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 27
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
उत्तमः साहसस्तस्य यः पापैर् उत्तमान् क्षिपेत् प्रमादाद्यैर् मया प्रोक्तं प्रीत्या दण्डार्धमर्हति
uttamaḥ sāhasastasya yaḥ pāpair uttamān kṣipet pramādādyair mayā proktaṃ prītyā daṇḍārdhamarhati
यः पापैः सहोत्तमान् जनान् क्षिपेत्, तस्योत्तमः साहसदण्डः; प्रमादाद्यैः कृतं चेत्, मया यथोक्तं, प्रीत्या स दण्डार्धमर्हति।
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Helps a judge classify assault severity (uttama-sāhasa) and apply mitigation for negligence (pramāda), reducing punishment by half when intent is absent or diminished.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Uttama-sāhasa and mitigation for pramāda (negligence)","lookup_keywords":["uttama-sāhasa","pramāda","daṇḍa-ardha","assault grading","mitigating factors"],"quick_summary":"Defines the highest sāhasa as acts that cause respectable persons to be violently cast down through wicked agents; if due to negligence and similar factors, the punishment may be reduced to half—introducing mens rea-like mitigation."}
Concept: Daṇḍa calibrated by gravity of harm and culpability (intent vs negligence), balancing deterrence with compassion.
Application: In sentencing: determine whether the act constitutes uttama-sāhasa (serious violent harm via agents); if pramāda is established, apply daṇḍa-ardha (half punishment) as mitigation.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Governance, Law, and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A judge distinguishes between deliberate violent assault (using ruffians) and accidental harm due to negligence; the sentence is shown as full vs half punishment, with scribes recording the decision.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-part narrative: left shows wicked men pushing a dignified elder down; right shows an accidental mishap with a remorseful offender; judge indicates full vs half daṇḍa with hand gestures, strong storytelling composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-accented throne room, symbolic scales of justice with one side halved, dignified victim figure, attendants and scribes, emphasis on royal mercy in the mitigation panel","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic split-scene with labels implied: 'uttama-sāhasa' vs 'pramāda', careful linework, calm judicial authority, clear depiction of halved penalty via half coin stack or half-marked tablet","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative sequencing within one frame, detailed crowd of courtiers, ruffians in darker attire, judge’s nuanced expression, ledger showing reduced amount/penalty"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sāhasaḥ+tasya → sāhasastasya; pāpaiḥ+uttamān → pāpair uttamān (visarga→r before vowel); pramāda+ādyaiḥ → pramādādyair; daṇḍa+ardham+arhati → daṇḍārdhamarhati
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (earlier definitions of sāhasa levels; rules on daṇḍa reduction/augmentation)
FAQs
It gives a legal rule from Rajadharma/Vyavahara: classify an act as “uttama sāhasa” (most severe assault) when harm is inflicted on respectable persons, and reduce the penalty to half when the act is due to negligence (pramāda) rather than deliberate intent.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical jurisprudence—definitions of offences, gradations of violence (sāhasa), and sentencing principles like mitigation for negligence—showing its wide scope across governance and civil/criminal law.
It treats harming the “uttama” (worthy/respected) as a grave wrong, while recognizing intention and carelessness as karmically distinct—hence the reduced punishment when the harm is accidental or negligent rather than willful.