Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 10
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
पितरि प्रोषिते प्रेते व्यसाभिप्लुते ऽथ वा पुत्रपौत्रैर् ऋणन्देयं निह्नवे साक्षिभावितम्
pitari proṣite prete vyasābhiplute 'tha vā putrapautrair ṛṇandeyaṃ nihnave sākṣibhāvitam
पितरि प्रोषिते प्रेते वा व्यसनाभिप्लुतेऽथ वा, पुत्रपौत्रैः ऋणं देयं; निह्नवे तु साक्षिभावितम्।
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in dharma and legal procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for succession-based debt repayment and evidentiary procedure when the principal debtor (father) is absent, deceased, or incapacitated; establishes witness-proof on denial.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pituḥ proṣita-preta-vyasana-sthiti: putra-pautra-ṛṇa-dāna & sākṣi-pramāṇa","lookup_keywords":["pitr-ṛṇa","putra-pautra","proṣita","vyasana","sākṣi"],"quick_summary":"If the father is away, dead, or calamity-struck, the son/grandson must discharge the debt; if denied, the claim is proved through witnesses."}
Concept: Continuity of obligation (ṛṇa) across generations and the primacy of pramāṇa (witness testimony) in vyavahāra.
Application: Courts should (1) identify successor-liable heirs when the debtor is unavailable, and (2) require witness testimony when the debt is denied.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: civil law, debts, evidence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A creditor petitions the court; the father is shown absent/deceased; the son and grandson stand as responsible heirs; witnesses step forward to attest when denial occurs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative split-panel: left shows father traveling/absent or funeral rites; right shows court with son and grandson before judge, witnesses raising hands in oath-like gesture, palm-leaf records","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights, central dharmāsana, son and grandson offering repayment, witnesses behind with sacred thread and scrolls, ornate court pillars","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean didactic composition: judge, claimant, heirs, and a row of witnesses; emphasis on documentation and testimony, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed legal assembly, heirs in front, witnesses presenting statements, clerk writing in register, subtle depiction of father’s absence via empty seat or funeral vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vyasābhiplute 'tha → vyasanābhiplute atha; putrapautrair → putra-pautraiḥ; ṛṇandeyaṃ → ṛṇam deyaṃ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (sākṣi-lakṣaṇa and ṛṇa-vyavahāra context)
FAQs
It gives a rule of civil law: if the father cannot discharge a debt due to absence, death, or calamity, the obligation falls on son/grandson, and disputes are resolved through witness-based proof.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical dharmaśāstra material—inheritance-linked debt liability and evidentiary procedure—showing the text’s coverage of governance and jurisprudence.
Fulfilling legitimate debts is treated as dharma; clearing a family obligation prevents blame and demerit associated with default and supports social order through truthful, witness-verified conduct.