Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 27

Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्

The Account of Legal Procedure

Devanagari script

आजीवन् स्वेच्छया दण्ड्यो दाप्यस्तच्चापि सोदयं याचितावाहितन्यासे निक्षेपेष्वप्ययं विधिः

Transliteration

ājīvan svecchayā daṇḍyo dāpyastaccāpi sodayaṃ yācitāvāhitanyāse nikṣepeṣvapyayaṃ vidhiḥ

Translation

జీవించి ఉండగానే ఎవడు స్వచ్ఛందంగా నిక్షేపం/జమాను అపహరిస్తాడో, అతడు దండనీయుడు; ఆ ద్రవ్యాన్ని లాభం/వృద్ధితో కూడి తిరిగి చెల్లించాలి. ఇదే విధి యాచిత-న్యాస, ఆవహిత-న్యాస మరియు ఇతర నిక్షేపాలకూ వర్తిస్తుంది।

Word by Word

• ājīvan: living (on it)
• ājīvan: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā + jīv (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-शतृ (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘living (on it)/subsisting’

• sva-icchayā: by his own will
• sva-icchayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular): ‘by one’s own will’

• daṇḍyaḥ: to be punished
• daṇḍyaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थ (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘to be fined/punished’

• dāpyaḥ: to be made to pay
• dāpyaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-यत्/तव्यत्-अर्थ (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘to be made to pay’

• tat: that (amount)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (also/even)

• sa-udayam: with interest
• sa-udayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह-समास/उपपद); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘with interest/increase’

• yācita-āvāhita-nyāse: in requested/entrusted deposits
• yācita-āvāhita-nyāse: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yācita + āvāhita + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (yācita-nyāsaś ca āvāhita-nyāsaś ca); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular): ‘in (cases of) requested and entrusted deposits’

• nikṣepeṣu: in deposits
• nikṣepeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nikṣepa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचन (Locative plural)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• vidhiḥ: rule/procedure
• vidhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as is the dominant frame of the Agni Purana)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: dharmya

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ājīvan svecchayā = ājīvan + sva-icchayā; dāpyastaccāpi = dāpyaḥ + tat + ca + api; sodayaṃ = sa-udayam; yācitāvāhitanyāse = yācita-āvāhita-nyāse; nikṣepeṣvapy = nikṣepeṣu + api.

Characters & Entities

• Agni Purana
• Rajadharma
• Vyavahara
• Nyasa
• Nikṣepa

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (practical jurisprudence): a depositor’s protection and the custodian’s liability—misappropriation requires punishment plus restitution with the accrued increment (udaya).

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves dharmaśāstra-style civil law—defining categories of deposits (yācita-nyāsa, āvahita-nyāsa, nikṣepa) and prescribing penalties and repayment rules, showing its wide coverage of governance and social order.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Protecting entrusted property is treated as dharma; voluntary breach is adharma that incurs both worldly penalty (daṇḍa) and negative karma, while restitution (with udaya) is a corrective act supporting ethical purification and social trust.