Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
तदन्यजन्तुभिर्भूप शिविकोत्थानकर्मणा शैलद्रव्यगृहोत्थोपि पृथिवीसम्भवोपि वा
tadanyajantubhirbhūpa śivikotthānakarmaṇā śailadravyagṛhotthopi pṛthivīsambhavopi vā
हे भूपते, अन्यजन्तुभिः कृतं यत्—शिविकोत्थानकर्मणा, शैलद्रव्यगृहोत्थेन, अथवा पृथिवीसम्भवेनापि—तत्रापि स एव नियमः।
Lord Agni (in instruction to a king, within Agni’s discourse to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Assessing liability/causation in royal justice: harm arising from living agents vs. accidents due to vehicles, loads, buildings, stones, or earth—guiding danda (penalty) and compensation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Causation of Injury: Living Agents and Inanimate Sources","lookup_keywords":["hetu","hiṃsā","śivikā","śaila-dravya-gṛha","pṛthivī-sambhava"],"quick_summary":"In adjudicating harm, the text classifies causes: by other beings, by conveyance-lifting (palanquin), by stone/material/buildings, or by earth-origin events. This supports differentiated legal response based on source and agency."}
Concept: Moral-legal discernment depends on agency and causal origin, not merely on the visible outcome.
Application: In governance, separate intentional harm from accidental harm and from natural/structural causes before assigning punishment or restitution.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Danda-niti (Governance, Law, and Social Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king’s palanquin procession pauses as a learned figure points out different sources of harm—bearers lifting the palanquin, nearby stones, a building edge, and uneven earth—framing a lesson on causation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat bold colors, palanquin with four bearers, a sage gesturing toward stone, building, and earth, king listening, ornamental borders, didactic mood","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on palanquin and royal ornaments, king seated, sage standing, symbolic motifs of stone and house, rich reds and greens, devotional-didactic composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, soft shading, annotated feel: palanquin bearers lifting, stone and building shown as labeled causes, king attentive, calm instructional ambience","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court procession, palanquin bearers mid-lift, textured stone and architectural facade, sage explaining to king, naturalistic ground showing uneven earth, crisp borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तदन्यजन्तुभिः = तत् + अन्यजन्तुभिः; शिविकोत्थानकर्मणा = शिविका + उत्थान + कर्मणा; शैलद्रव्यगृहोत्थोपि = शैलद्रव्यगृहउत्थः + अपि; पृथिवीसम्भवोपि = पृथिवीसम्भवः + अपि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma/Dandanīti sections on vyavahāra (disputes), sāhasa (assault), and prāyaścitta (expiation)
FAQs
It classifies sources of harm/accident for legal or expiatory application—harm caused by other creatures, by conveyance-work (palanquin lifting), by stones/material objects/buildings, or by natural ground-causes—so the same prescribed rule (penance/assessment) can be applied.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical danda-nīti/rajadharma: a structured taxonomy of causation (animals, human labor, property/structures, natural causes) used in adjudication and prāyaścitta, reflecting an early legal-administrative mindset within a Purāṇic text.
By distinguishing causation and applying the appropriate rule, it aligns justice with dharma—preventing indiscriminate blame while still requiring due expiation or responsibility, thereby reducing karmic burden through correct, proportionate remedy.