Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 37
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
अबध्यं यश् च बध्नाति बध्यं यश् च प्रमुञ्चति अप्राप्तव्यवहारञ्च स दाप्यो दममुत्तमम्
abadhyaṃ yaś ca badhnāti badhyaṃ yaś ca pramuñcati aprāptavyavahārañca sa dāpyo damamuttamam
சிறையில் அடைக்கத் தகாதவரை அடைப்பவனும், அடைக்கத் தகுதியுள்ளவரை விடுவிப்பவனும், ஏற்கப்படாத வழக்கைத் தொடங்குபவனும்—அவன் உயர்ந்த (அதிகபட்ச) அபராதம் செலுத்த வேண்டும்.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha) — conventional Agni Purana dialogue frame
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Defines grave judicial/administrative misconduct: wrongful imprisonment, wrongful release, and initiating inadmissible proceedings—each punished with the highest fine to protect due process.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Highest fine for wrongful detention, wrongful release, and inadmissible litigation","lookup_keywords":["abadhya-bandhana","badhya-pramocana","aprāpta-vyavahāra","uttama-daṇḍa","due process"],"quick_summary":"Officials or parties who unlawfully detain, unlawfully release, or pursue non-maintainable cases incur the maximum fine, safeguarding procedural justice."}
Concept: Nyāya requires proper eligibility and procedure; coercive power (bandhana) must be bounded by law to prevent tyranny and corruption.
Application: Mandate written grounds for arrest/release; penalize frivolous or non-admissible suits; audit jail and court actions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Legal Procedure and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A courthouse and jail: an innocent person being bound, a guilty person being released, and a litigant presenting an inadmissible petition; the judge orders the highest fine against the wrongdoer/official.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic court-jail scene: guards with ropes, judge on dharmāsana, petitioner with palm-leaf petition marked rejected, bold outlines, saturated reds/ochres, moral clarity in composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, royal judge with gold halo-like arch, guards restraining a man, another being released, rejected petition shown, gold leaf emphasizing authority and law.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear procedural illustration: three panels (wrongful arrest, wrongful release, inadmissible case), judge and scribe noting ‘uttama-daṇḍa’, fine linework and calm didactic tone.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court with jail doorway, guards and litigants, judge issuing order, clerk writing, architectural depth and intricate costume detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shubhapantuvarali","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yaś ca → yaḥ ca; vyavahārañca → vyavahāram ca; damamuttamam → damam uttamam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (court procedure, admissibility, and penalties)
FAQs
This verse imparts legal-technical guidance in rajadharma: judicial accountability—wrongful detention, wrongful release, and entertaining inadmissible litigation are punishable by the maximum fine.
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft: rules of court procedure (vyavahāra), standards of custody, and graded penalties (dama), reflecting a compendium of governance and law.
By penalizing miscarriages of justice, the text frames fair adjudication as dharma: protecting the innocent and restraining the guilty reduces collective adharma and the karmic burden incurred by unjust authority.