Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 8
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
गोपशौण्डिकशैनूषरजकव्याधयोषितां ऋणं दद्यात्पतिस्त्वासां यस्माद्वृत्तिस्तदाश्रया
gopaśauṇḍikaśainūṣarajakavyādhayoṣitāṃ ṛṇaṃ dadyātpatistvāsāṃ yasmādvṛttistadāśrayā
கோபன், மதுவிற்பவன், ஷைனூஷ (படைத்தளச் சேவகர்), வண்ணான், வேடன் ஆகியோரின் மனைவிகளின் கடனை கணவன் செலுத்த வேண்டும்; ஏனெனில் அவர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரம் அவனைச் சார்ந்தது.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within Rajadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Allocates spousal liability for certain occupational debts incurred by dependent wives; used in adjudicating creditor claims and household responsibility.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Husband’s Liability for Debts of Dependent Occupational Wives","lookup_keywords":["stri-rina","bhartr̥-dayitva","gopa","saundika","rajaka-vyadha"],"quick_summary":"For women whose livelihood is supported by the husband (in specified occupations), the husband bears responsibility to repay their debts, reflecting dependency-based liability."}
Concept: Responsibility follows dependence: where a person’s maintenance is anchored in another, financial obligations may attach to the supporter to protect creditors and household stability.
Application: In legal practice: assess whether the wife’s economic agency is independent or supported; if supported as described, enforce repayment from the husband to prevent exploitation of dependency and ensure commercial trust.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: debts, dependents, household obligations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: artha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marketplace montage: cowherd, liquor-seller, camp attendant, washerman, and hunter households; creditors approach the husband, who repays on behalf of the dependent wife.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, segmented narrative panels of five occupations, creditors with palm-leaf notes, husbands paying coins, village-market ambiance with traditional motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold accents on coin trays and trade goods (milk pots, liquor jars, laundry bundles, hunting gear), central husband figure repaying, ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean enumerative illustration: five labeled occupational scenes with a consistent legal action ‘husband repays’, fine brushwork and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar with occupational details, creditor presenting bond, husband paying, rich textures and realistic objects"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dadyātpatistvāsāṃ → dadyāt patiḥ tu āsām; yasmādvṛttistadāśrayā → yasmāt vṛttiḥ tad-āśrayā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vyavahara: rina-vyavahara and rules on dependents’ transactions (same khanda)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-legal rule of liability: a husband is responsible to discharge certain debts incurred by dependent women, since their maintenance (vṛtti) rests upon him.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical Vyavahāra/Rājadharma norms—covering social professions, dependency, and debt-liability—showing the Purana’s breadth as a compendium of governance and civil conduct.
Fulfilling dependent obligations and clearing rightful debts is treated as dharma; it prevents harm to dependents and avoids the demerit associated with unpaid obligations and neglect of maintenance.