Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 35
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
स दण्डं प्राप्नुयान् मासं दण्ड्यः स्यात् प्राणितारने धान्यं दशभ्यः कुम्भेभ्यो हरतो ऽभ्यधिकं बधः
sa daṇḍaṃ prāpnuyān māsaṃ daṇḍyaḥ syāt prāṇitārane dhānyaṃ daśabhyaḥ kumbhebhyo harato 'bhyadhikaṃ badhaḥ
அவனுக்கு ஒரு மாதத் தண்டனை ஏற்படும்; ஆனால் உயிரைக் காப்பதற்காக (செய்திருந்தால்) அவன் தண்டனைக்குரியவன் மட்டுமே. பத்து கும்பங்களை மீறும் அளவில் தானியம் திருடினால் மரணத் தண்டனை விதிக்கப்படுகிறது।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s common dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Sentencing rules distinguishing minor penalties, mitigation contexts, and capital punishment thresholds for grain theft.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Penalty gradation: month-long punishment; threshold for execution in grain theft","lookup_keywords":["māsa-daṇḍa","prāṇitāraṇa","dhānya-steya","daśa-kumbha","vadha"],"quick_summary":"A baseline punishment is set at one month; special contexts are treated distinctly, while theft of grain beyond a specified quantity (over ten kumbhas) warrants execution."}
Concept: Proportional punishment with threshold-based escalation; protection of life-supporting resources as a dharmic imperative.
Application: Use measurable thresholds (like kumbha counts) to standardize sentencing and deter famine-inducing crimes.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Criminal Law and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A granary with measured kumbhas of grain; officials count vessels to determine whether theft exceeds ten kumbhas; the king pronounces sentence with stern authority.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, granary scene with large earthen kumbhas, officials counting, king in sabha delivering danda, dramatic but restrained palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with gold embellishments, symbolic row of kumbhas in foreground, attendants and scribe noting the threshold, emphasis on royal justice","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction of kumbha measurement and granary accounting, court scene with clear narrative sequencing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed granary interior with stacked vessels, accountants and guards, then court judgment scene, fine detailing and realistic textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: harataḥ 'abhyadhikam → harato 'bhyadhikam (विसर्ग-लोप)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (theft gradations and punishments)
FAQs
It gives a Dandaniti (juridical) rule: punishment scales with context (life-saving circumstances) and with quantity—stealing grain beyond ten kumbhas is treated as a capital offense.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—measures, thresholds, and graded penalties—showing it as a compendium of governance and legal administration.
It frames justice as dharmic regulation: protection of life mitigates culpability, while severe harm to social sustenance (large-scale grain theft) is treated as a grave adharma warranting the harshest consequence.