Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 21
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
मृते पितरि कुर्युस्तं भ्रातरस्त्वर्धभागिकं अभ्रातृको हरेत् सर्वं दुहितॄणां सुतादृते
mṛte pitari kuryustaṃ bhrātarastvardhabhāgikaṃ abhrātṛko haret sarvaṃ duhitṝṇāṃ sutādṛte
मृते पितरि भ्रातरस्तं विभागं कुर्युरर्धभागिकाः। अभ्रातृको हरेत् सर्वं दुहितॄणां सुतान् विना।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Rules for post-mortem division of a father’s estate among brothers, and default succession when brothers are absent, with an exception protecting daughters’ sons.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Estate division after father’s death: brothers’ shares; default heir; exception for daughters’ sons","lookup_keywords":["mṛte pitari","bhāga-vibhāga","bhrātṛ","abhrātṛka","duhitṛ-suta"],"quick_summary":"After the father’s death, brothers arrange division with half-shares; if there are no brothers, one takes the whole estate, except that daughters’ sons retain a protected claim/exception."}
Concept: Orderly succession (dāya) after death is a dharmic duty, preventing conflict while acknowledging special relational claims (daughters’ sons).
Application: Use as a decision rule in inheritance disputes: identify brothers, compute shares, and check for the stated exception involving daughters’ sons.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Inheritance Law / Dayabhaga principles)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After funeral rites, brothers sit with elders and a scribe to divide property into shares; in the absence of brothers, a single heir stands to receive all, while a daughter’s son is shown as an exception claimant.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-register narrative: (1) brothers in council with palm-leaf accounts, (2) lone heir with estate symbols, with a daughter’s son respectfully present; temple-lamp ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, inheritance council with gold-highlighted ornaments and vessels; clear depiction of divided heaps/ledgers; dignified faces, ceremonial symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional estate-division scene with labeled shares and orderly seating; emphasis on procedure and documentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed indoor assembly with carpets and ledgers; brothers negotiating shares, scribe recording, daughter’s son at the margin indicating the exception."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भ्रातरस्त्वर्धभागिकं → भ्रातरः + तु + अर्धभागिकम्; सुतादृते → सुत + ऋते (avyayībhāva).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (inheritance sequencing within putra-prakaraṇa)
FAQs
It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (legal procedure) on dāya-vibhāga: how inheritance is apportioned among brothers, and how a daughter's sons are treated as an exception in succession.
Beyond theology and worship, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical civil norms—here, inheritance and partition—showing its coverage of governance and jurisprudence alongside ritual and philosophy.
By prescribing orderly succession and recognized heirs, it promotes dharma in family life—reducing conflict, honoring lineage obligations, and supporting righteous maintenance of dependents.