Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 16
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
अनृतन्तु वदन् दण्ड्यः सुवित्तस्यांशमष्टमं प्रणष्टस्वामिकमृक्थं राजात्र्यब्दं निधापयेत्
anṛtantu vadan daṇḍyaḥ suvittasyāṃśamaṣṭamaṃ praṇaṣṭasvāmikamṛkthaṃ rājātryabdaṃ nidhāpayet
பொய் பேசுபவன் தண்டிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்; அவன் செல்வத்தின் எட்டில் ஒரு பங்கு அபராதமாக வசூலிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். உரிமையாளர் இழந்தோ அறியப்படாதோ உள்ள சொத்தை அரசன் மூன்று ஆண்டுகள் வைப்பு நிதியாகக் காக்க வேண்டும்।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s didactic discourse on rājadharma)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides judicial penalties for perjury/false testimony and sets a state procedure for handling unclaimed property by time-bound royal deposit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Anṛta-daṇḍa (fine of 1/8 wealth) and apranasta-svāmi property deposit (3 years)","lookup_keywords":["anṛta","daṇḍa","aṣṭama-bhāga","apranasta-svāmi","nidhi-nyāsa"],"quick_summary":"Falsehood in legal context incurs a fine of one-eighth of the offender’s wealth; ownerless/unknown-owner property is to be held by the king in deposit for three years."}
Concept: Satya (truth) is protected through daṇḍa; the king’s trusteeship over property is time-limited and procedural.
Application: In adjudication, penalize proven false statements proportionally; for found property, register and hold it securely for a defined limitation period before further action.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma & Vyavahāra (Law, Governance, and Judicial Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court where a false speaker is fined (coins weighed out as one-eighth), and separately a sealed treasury chest labeled as unclaimed property held for three years under royal custody.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king on throne with attendants, a judge-like minister, the offender with lowered head, a balance scale weighing coins, a sealed chest with palm-leaf tag ‘trivarṣa-nyāsa’, warm ochres and greens.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate court scene with gold-leaf throne and treasury vessels; the fine being paid into a gilded coffer; strong frontal composition, rich reds and gold.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear didactic court layout—panel 1 perjury fine (1/8) shown with fraction marks; panel 2 deposit chest with ‘3 years’ notation; delicate lines, calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed diwān-i-‘ām style court, scribes recording the fine, coin trays, sealed chest in treasury alcove, architectural depth, floral border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: anṛtantu → anṛtam + tu; suvittasyāṃśamaṣṭamaṃ → su-vittasya + aṃśam + aṣṭamam; praṇaṣṭasvāmikamṛkthaṃ → praṇaṣṭa-svāmikam + ṛktham; rājātryabdaṃ → rājā + tryabdam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vyavahāra rules on witnesses, oaths, and fines; Agni Purana sections on rājadharma and daṇḍanīti
FAQs
It gives practical legal guidance (vyavahāra-vidyā): the fine for speaking untruth is one-eighth of one’s wealth, and the king must hold ownerless/lost-owner property in official custody for three years.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves governance and jurisprudence norms—quantified penalties and state procedure for unclaimed property—showing its dharmaśāstra-like coverage of civil administration.
Truthfulness is treated as a core dharmic duty; the fine functions as social and karmic correction, while the king’s custodianship of unclaimed wealth upholds justice and prevents misappropriation, supporting righteous rule (dharma-rājya).