Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 29
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
अन्त्यजातिर्द्विजातिन्तु येनाङ्गेनापराध्नुयात् तदेव च्छेदयेत्तस्य क्षिप्रमेवाविचारयन्
antyajātirdvijātintu yenāṅgenāparādhnuyāt tadeva cchedayettasya kṣipramevāvicārayan
अन्त्यजातिः द्विजातिं यदङ्गेनापराध्नुयात् तदेवाङ्गं तस्य छेदयेत्, क्षिप्रम् एव अविचारयन्।
Lord Agni (narrating dharma and dandaniti to the sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Used in historical penal codes to justify corporal punishment framed as limb-for-limb retribution when an offender of the lowest status harms a dvija using a specific limb; informs study of ancient jurisprudence and its social stratification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Limb-specific amputation for offences by antyajāti against dvija","lookup_keywords":["antyajati-danda","dvija-aparadha","anga-chedana","pratyanika-danda","avichara"],"quick_summary":"When an offence is committed ‘by a limb,’ the punishment is to cut that same limb. The verse emphasizes swift execution of the sentence, reflecting a retributive model of justice."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as deterrence and social boundary-maintenance; ‘yena aṅgena’ principle of proportional retaliation.
Application: For comparative legal ethics: evaluate proportionality, due process, and the social assumptions embedded in stratified punishments.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dharmashastra (Penal Law / Social Jurisprudence)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A tribunal scene where the judge identifies the offending limb used in an assault and orders limb-specific punishment, with scribes recording the verdict.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, stern king-judge with attendants, offender shown with highlighted limb (hand/foot) symbolically marked, executioner awaiting order, strong reds/ochres, stylized expressions conveying raudra.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, iconic king with gold embellishments, the ‘offending limb’ emphasized by gesture, attendants holding palm-leaf decree, ornamental frame, moralizing courtroom tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean didactic composition: judge, scribe, offender, and a diagrammatic emphasis on the limb, muted palette, fine outlines, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court with qazī-like judge analog, careful depiction of legal procedure, marginal notes feel, executioner in background, realistic textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: antyajātirdvijātintu → antyajātiḥ + dvijātim + tu; yenāṅgenāparādhnuyāt → yena + aṅgena + aparādhnuyāt; tadeva → tat + eva; cchedayet (t + ch → cch); kṣipramevāvicārayan → kṣipram + eva + avicārayan.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226.31 (yad-aṅga-rujā principle)
FAQs
It teaches dandaniti (penal governance): a principle of limb-for-limb corporal punishment when a bodily offence is committed against a dvija.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana compiles practical statecraft and legal norms; this verse is part of its dharmashastra-style material on crime and punishment (rajadharma).
It frames punishment as a dharmic instrument of social order and deterrence, implying that wrongdoing against protected classes brings immediate, severe karmic and social consequences enforced through the king’s justice.