Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 48
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
क्षयं वृद्धिञ्च बणिजा पण्यानामविजानता क्रीत्वा नानुशयः कार्यः कुर्वन् षड् भागदण्डभाक्
kṣayaṃ vṛddhiñca baṇijā paṇyānāmavijānatā krītvā nānuśayaḥ kāryaḥ kurvan ṣaḍ bhāgadaṇḍabhāk
क्षयवृद्धी नाजानन् बणिजः पण्यानि क्रीत्वा पश्चादनुशयं न कुर्यात्; कुर्वन् तु मूल्यस्य षड्भागदण्डभाक् भवति।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Consumer/merchant dispute handling: once a trader purchases without due diligence about market rise/fall, later rescission/complaint is barred; frivolous regret-claims attract a quantified fine (1/6 value).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"No-remorse claim after uninformed purchase; one-sixth penalty","lookup_keywords":["banīj","kṣaya-vṛddhi","anushaya (regret claim)","ṣaḍ-bhāga-daṇḍa","vyavahāra (commerce)"],"quick_summary":"A merchant must assess depreciation/appreciation before buying. If he later raises a regret-claim despite buying in ignorance, he is fined one-sixth of the value."}
Concept: Due diligence (apramāda) and stability of transactions; discouraging vexatious claims.
Application: Adopt inspection/valuation norms before purchase; courts/authorities can deter opportunistic rescission by fixed fines.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Commerce and Legal Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marketplace where a merchant buys goods without checking quality/price trend; later he petitions a judge, who points to a written rule and imposes a one-sixth fine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bustling bazaar with merchants and scales, a royal judge seated under a canopy, palm-leaf ledger, gesture of refusal to a complaining trader, earthy reds and greens, temple-mural linework","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style, central enthroned king/judge with gold halo-like arch, merchant presenting goods and complaint scroll, gold-leaf ornamentation on treasury and weighing scales, rich maroons and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional tableau of sale and later dispute, clear depiction of weights, measures, ledger, judge indicating ‘ṣaḍ-bhāga’ fraction on a board, delicate lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed market scene with textiles and spices, qazi-like judge with Sanskrit clerk, merchant fined, precise depiction of coins equal to one-sixth, architectural arcade background"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vṛddhiñca = vṛddhim + ca; paṇyānāmavijānatā = paṇyānām + avijānatā; nānuśayaḥ = na + anuśayaḥ; bhāgadaṇḍabhāk treated as tatpuruṣa compound.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (Vyavahara: trade, tolls, penalties)
FAQs
It imparts practical commercial-legal guidance: a buyer-merchant who purchases goods without assessing price movement (loss or gain) cannot later dispute the deal; filing such a complaint attracts a prescribed fine of one-sixth.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana codifies civic and economic regulation—here, marketplace liability and penalties—showing its coverage of governance, jurisprudence (vyavahāra), and everyday commercial ethics.
It discourages bad-faith disputes and promotes truthful dealing (dharma) in livelihood; accepting responsibility for one’s informed choice reduces conflict and supports righteous earning, which is treated as karmically purifying in dharma literature.