Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 16
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
प्रतिभूर्दापितो यत्र प्रकाशं धनिने धनम् द्विगुणं प्रतिदातव्यमृणिकैस्तस्य तद्भवेत्
pratibhūrdāpito yatra prakāśaṃ dhanine dhanam dviguṇaṃ pratidātavyamṛṇikaistasya tadbhavet
यत्र प्रतिभूः प्रकाशं धनिने धनं दापितः, तत्र तस्य धनं द्विगुणं प्रतिदातव्यम्; सा च ऋणिकस्यैव बाध्यता भवति।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in dharma and legal procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"If a surety is compelled to pay publicly/legally, the debtor must reimburse the surety with a punitive multiplier (double), incentivizing timely repayment and protecting guarantors.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Debtor’s double repayment to surety after compelled public payment","lookup_keywords":["pratibhū","dviguṇa","public payment","ṛṇika","reimbursement"],"quick_summary":"When a surety has been forced to pay the creditor in an established/public manner, the debtor must repay the surety twice that amount. The burden of this enhanced liability rests on the debtor."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as dharma-protection: punitive multipliers ensure social trust in suretyship and discourage default.
Application: Courts can order double reimbursement to the surety when payment occurred under compulsion and public validation, functioning like damages plus penalty.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra—legal procedure, debts, suretyship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a public marketplace/court square, the surety pays the creditor before witnesses and a herald; later the judge orders the debtor to repay the surety double, shown by two equal coin piles being transferred.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, public assembly with witnesses, herald holding staff, surety handing coins to creditor, judge indicating 'double' with two stacked coin heaps, bold lines and ceremonial posture","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold accents on coin heaps and court throne, two identical money trays signifying dviguṇa, debtor kneeling in compliance, rich ornamentation and frontal symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional split-scene: left—public payment with witnesses; right—double repayment to surety, precise depiction of two coin piles, calm didactic tone","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar-court hybrid, scribe recording, witnesses in a semicircle, debtor repaying double with two purses, refined detailing and perspective"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रतिदातव्यमृणिकैः → प्रतिदातव्यं ऋणिकैः; तद्भवेत् → तत् भवेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (ṛṇa, pratibhū, dviguṇa rules)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of vyavahāra (legal procedure): if a guarantor is forced to pay the creditor publicly/officially, the debtor must reimburse the guarantor at double the amount.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves Dharmaśāstra-style civil law—covering contracts, loans, guarantors, and enforcement—showing its wide scope across governance and jurisprudence.
It frames debt default as a moral fault: the debtor bears heavier responsibility (double repayment) for shifting the burden onto a surety, reinforcing accountability and fairness as dharma.