Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 12
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
यावत् सत्यं विनष्टन्तु तावत् क्षेत्री फलं लभेत् पालस्ताड्यो ऽथ गोस्वामी पूर्वोक्तं दण्डमर्हति
yāvat satyaṃ vinaṣṭantu tāvat kṣetrī phalaṃ labhet pālastāḍyo 'tha gosvāmī pūrvoktaṃ daṇḍamarhati
సత్యం స్థిరపడే వరకు (వాస్తవం తెలియని వరకు) క్షేత్రాన్ని సాగు చేసినవాడే ఫలాన్ని/పంటను పొందాలి. కాపలాదారుడిని తాడించాలి, పశువుల యజమాని ముందుగా చెప్పిన దండానికి పాత్రుడు।
Lord Agni (narrating legal/administrative norms to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s rajadharma material)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Interim allocation of produce during unresolved field disputes; assigning liability to negligent guards and penalizing cattle owners for damage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Interim produce entitlement; punishment of field-guard; penalty for cattle owner","lookup_keywords":["yāvat satyaṃ vinaṣṭam","kṣetrī phalaṃ labhet","pāla tāḍyaḥ","go-svāmin daṇḍa","kṣetra-vivāda phala"],"quick_summary":"Until facts are established, the cultivator receives the produce to prevent loss and maintain cultivation. Negligent guarding is punished (beating), and the cattle owner bears the stated fine for the harm caused."}
Concept: Pragmatic dharma: preserve livelihood and cultivation while truth is ascertained; assign responsibility to the proximate negligent agent and the ultimate owner.
Application: Courts can order temporary possession/benefit to the active cultivator, while separately investigating title and fault; enforce guard duty and owner liability.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Civil/Property Law; Kshetra-vivada)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disputed field: the cultivator receives baskets of grain as interim produce; a negligent field-guard is punished by officials; the cattle owner stands before the court as the fine is assessed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, village field with paddy, cultivator holding sheaves, royal officer handing produce, guard being chastised, cattle owner with cows behind, bold outlines and decorative flora","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on judicial staff and court paraphernalia, foreground with grain baskets given to cultivator, side vignette of guard being punished, cattle owner offering coins as fine","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative panels: (1) unresolved dispute, (2) interim produce to cultivator, (3) guard punished, (4) owner fined; soft colors and precise detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, realistic agrarian landscape, officials recording statements, cultivator receiving produce, guard being struck with a staff, cattle owner paying fine, detailed cattle and field boundaries"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पालस्ताड्यो = पालः + ताड्यः; ताड्यो ऽथ = ताड्यः + अथ; दण्डमर्हति = दण्डम् + अर्हति.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (rules on cattle trespass, guards, and fines)
FAQs
It gives a practical rule of vyavahāra (civil procedure): until the factual truth is determined, the cultivator in possession receives the crop; negligence is addressed through corporal punishment for the guard and a prescribed legal penalty for the cattle-owner.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana includes governance and jurisprudence. This verse exemplifies its coverage of agrarian administration—interim rights to produce, liability allocation (guard vs. cattle-owner), and graded punishment—showing the text’s wide-ranging, law-like guidance.
By upholding truthful adjudication and fair allocation of responsibility, the verse supports dharma in social order: preventing unjust enrichment, discouraging negligence, and ensuring that wrongdoing (harm to crops) is met with proportionate consequence.