Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 31
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
कार्मिके रोमबद्धे च त्रिंशद्भागः क्षयो मतः न क्षयो न च वृद्धिस्तु कौशेये वल्कलेषु च
kārmike romabaddhe ca triṃśadbhāgaḥ kṣayo mataḥ na kṣayo na ca vṛddhistu kauśeye valkaleṣu ca
கார்மிகத் துணியும் ரோமபத்த (ஊன்) துணியும் முப்பதில் ஒரு பங்கு இழப்பு ஏற்றதாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது. ஆனால் கௌசேய (பட்டு) மற்றும் வல்கல ஆடைகளில் அளவு/எடையில் இழப்பும் அதிகரிப்பும் இருக்கக் கூடாது।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Standardizing allowable shrinkage/defect tolerance in textile trade for fair pricing, taxation, and dispute resolution.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Permissible loss (kṣaya) in cloth measures: wool vs silk/bark","lookup_keywords":["kṣaya","kārmika","romabaddha","kauśeya","valkala"],"quick_summary":"In assessing cloth quantity/weight, woollen/hair-bound fabrics may allow a 1/30 loss, while silk and bark garments must match the assessed measure exactly with no loss or gain."}
Concept: Fairness in commerce through objective standards (māna-pramāṇa) and material-specific rules.
Application: Use commodity-specific tolerances to prevent fraud and to settle market disputes consistently.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Weights, Measures, Commerce, and Legal Standards)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal market inspector checks bolts of wool, silk, and bark cloth on a balance and measuring rod, noting allowable shrinkage for wool but strict exactness for silk and bark garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette; a dharmic king’s officer with palm-leaf ledger measuring woollen cloth and silk cloth on a balance; clear labels of 1/30 loss for wool; orderly bazaar setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work; central figure of a royal measurer holding a golden scale and measuring staff; merchants presenting wool and silk; ornate borders; emphasis on exact measure for silk and bark cloth.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework; instructional tableau of cloth measurement: wool allowed slight deficit, silk/bark exact; tools (tula balance, danda measure) rendered precisely; calm courtly setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed bazaar scene; inspector weighing textiles, scribes recording; distinct textures for wool, silk sheen, and bark fiber; subtle annotation-like cartouches indicating tolerance rules."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vṛddhis tu = vṛddhiḥ + tu; triṃśadbhāgaḥ treated as triṃśad-bhāgaḥ; vikāra not present. Locatives indicate the items/contexts in which depreciation is assessed.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (Vyavahāra: weights/measures, trade norms)
FAQs
It gives a technical commercial standard: an allowable shortage of 1/30 for certain textiles (kārmika and woollen), while requiring exact measure (no deficit or excess) for silk and bark-cloth.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical governance and marketplace norms—quantifying acceptable loss and insisting on precise standards for specific luxury/ritual textiles—showing the Purana’s coverage of law, economy, and administration.
By prescribing fair measurement and preventing cheating (shorting or padding), it supports dharma in trade; honest dealing is treated as meritorious conduct, while fraud is implicitly adharma with negative karmic consequence.