Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 11
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
भक्षयित्वोपविष्टानां यथोक्ताद् द्विगुणो दमः सममेषां विवीतेपि स्वराष्ट्रं महिषीसमम्
bhakṣayitvopaviṣṭānāṃ yathoktād dviguṇo damaḥ samameṣāṃ vivītepi svarāṣṭraṃ mahiṣīsamam
भक्षयित्वा उपविष्टानां पूर्वोक्तदण्डस्य द्विगुणो दमो भवति। विवादेऽपि स्वराज्ये समतया निर्णयः, महिषीसममूल्येन कर्तव्यः।
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guiding royal courts in assessing fines for unlawful consumption/appropriation of produce and in standardizing valuation during disputes within the kingdom.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Double fine for consuming produce and sitting in possession; equalized valuation in dispute","lookup_keywords":["dviguṇa dama","kṣetra-vivāda","bhakṣayitvā upaviṣṭa","svarāṣṭra nirṇaya","mahiṣī-samam mūlya"],"quick_summary":"If someone consumes the produce and then sits as if in possession, the fine is doubled. In disputed valuation within one’s own kingdom, the settlement is to be made on an equalized standard measure/value (illustrated by the buffalo-cow equivalence)."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as deterrence and equitable settlement in vyavahāra (dispute-resolution).
Application: Courts calibrate penalties to intent/act (consumption + assertion of possession) and use uniform valuation norms to prevent partiality.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Governance and Legal Penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court scene: a litigant who ate harvested produce sits on the field boundary claiming possession; scribes record a doubled fine while officials compare valuation tokens symbolized by a buffalo-cow standard.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, a king on a throne with ministers, a field boundary and granary, a man seated with eaten produce, palm-leaf scribes, symbolic buffalo-cow valuation tokens, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf throne and court canopy, stylized agrarian field at the bottom, the offender seated with produce, a judge indicating 'double fine', gold-highlighted buffalo-cow emblem as valuation standard","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional court tableau with labeled fine amounts on scrolls, officials weighing produce and showing a buffalo-cow equivalence marker, calm judicial expressions","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with accountants, the accused seated near sacks of grain, qazi-like judge pointing to a doubled fine ledger, background showing village fields and boundary markers, naturalistic animals (buffalo and cow) as valuation motif"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भक्षयित्वोपविष्टानाम् = भक्षयित्वा + उपविष्टानाम्; विवीतेपि = विवीते + अपि; महिषीसमम् treated as compound (महिषी + समम्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (Kṣetra-vivāda / paśu-doṣa rules); Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on daṇḍa and vyavahāra
FAQs
It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (legal procedure) and daṇḍanīti: a rule that unlawful consumption followed by sitting/occupying attracts a doubled monetary fine, along with a stated parity-standard for assessment.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical statecraft: quantified penalties, dispute-handling, and valuation norms—showing the Purana’s coverage of jurisprudence and governance alongside ritual and doctrine.
By prescribing proportionate penalties for appropriation and occupation, it frames such acts as dharma-violations requiring restitution—supporting social order and reducing the karmic burden through lawful correction.