Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 72
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
अवरुद्धासु दासीषु भुजिष्यासु तथैव च गम्यास्वपि पुमान्दाप्यः पञ्चाशत् पणिकन्दमम्
avaruddhāsu dāsīṣu bhujiṣyāsu tathaiva ca gamyāsvapi pumāndāpyaḥ pañcāśat paṇikandamam
కాపాడబడిన/అవరుద్ధ దాసి మరియు భుజిష్యా (బంధిత స్త్రీ) తో, ఆమె ఇతరంగా ‘గమ్య’ అయినా, పురుషుని నుండి యాభై (పణాలు) కనిష్ఠ దండం వసూలు చేయాలి.
Lord Agni (narrating the legal rule within Agni Purana’s rajadharma material)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Specifies a minimum (lowest-grade) fine for intercourse with guarded/kept female slaves or bondwomen, even if otherwise ‘approachable’, enabling consistent adjudication and revenue assessment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Avaruddhā-dāsī & bhujiṣyā-gamana—Lowest fine (pañcāśat paṇa)","lookup_keywords":["avaruddhā dāsī","bhujiṣyā","gamya","pañcāśat paṇa","kaniṣṭha daṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Sexual access to a guarded/kept slave woman or bondwoman incurs a fixed minimum fine of 50 paṇas, even when she is otherwise considered permissible. The rule distinguishes consent/permission status from guardianship/possession violations."}
Concept: Legal status and guardianship define offence-gravity; minimum fines regulate boundary violations without invoking higher corporal penalties.
Application: Court practice: treat ‘guarded/kept’ status as the key element; impose kaniṣṭha fine (50 paṇas) as baseline unless other aggravations apply.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Legal penalties and fines)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household compound with a guarded women’s quarter; an offender is brought before a magistrate; a ledger shows the minimum fine ‘50 paṇas’ marked as kaniṣṭha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic courtyard with a guarded doorway, attendants indicating ‘avaruddhā’, then a small court scene with palm-leaf ledger showing ‘50’, stylized figures and warm earth tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, interior household scene with ornate pillars, inset of magistrate and gold-highlighted coin stack labeled 50 paṇas, decorative borders and rich textiles.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction: guarded quarter icon, accused presented, accountant counting 50 coins; clean composition, fine linework, muted colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed zenana doorway with guards, then a bureaucratic office scene with scribe and coin tray of 50, architectural realism and calligraphic caption cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथैव = तथा + एव; गम्यास्वपि = गम्यासु + अपि; पुमान्दाप्यः = पुमान् + दाप्यः; पणिकन्दमम् = पणिक + दमम् (तत्पुरुष)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (strī-doṣa categories; kaniṣṭha/madhyama/uttama fine gradations)
FAQs
It gives a vyavahāra/dandanīti rule: the monetary penalty (minimum-grade fine) for a man who has intercourse with restrained/kept female slaves or bondwomen—fixed here as fifty paṇas.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana compiles applied governance material—civil/criminal norms, classifications of dependents (dāsī, bhujiṣyā), and a graded fine system—showing it functions as a compendium of statecraft and legal practice.
By prescribing a defined penalty, the text frames such conduct as adharma warranting expiation through punishment, reinforcing social restraint and accountability—actions that otherwise generate negative karma are checked through danda (lawful correction).