Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 40
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
अन्ययेन परस्वापहरणं स्तेयमुच्यते मुसलेन हतो राज्ञा स्वर्णस्तेयी विशुद्ध्यति
anyayena parasvāpaharaṇaṃ steyamucyate musalena hato rājñā svarṇasteyī viśuddhyati
การเอาทรัพย์ของผู้อื่นไปโดยมิชอบเรียกว่า ‘สเตยะ’ (ลักขโมย) โจรทองคำ หากถูกพระราชาประหารด้วยกระบอง/มุสละ ย่อมเป็นผู้บริสุทธิ์ (จากบาปนั้น)
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in rajadharma/vyavahāra norms)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Defining theft and stating the royal punitive-expiatory principle: capital punishment for gold theft by the king (club execution) is treated as purification of the offender’s sin within the juridical-dharmic framework.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Steya (Theft) and Royal Punishment for Suvarṇa-steya","lookup_keywords":["steya","suvarṇa-steya","rājadaṇḍa","musala","vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"The unlawful taking of another’s property is theft; for gold theft, death inflicted by the king is presented as a purificatory resolution of the sin (from the text’s dharma-legal standpoint)."}
Weapon Type: Mace/club (musala) as instrument of execution
Concept: Rājadaṇḍa as dharmic instrument: punishment functions as social protection and (as framed here) expiatory closure for grave crimes.
Application: In governance ethics, classify theft precisely and apply proportionate daṇḍa; the verse reflects a deterrence model for high-value/ritually grave theft (gold).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharma-shastra: criminal law, theft, royal punishment, expiation)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court scene defining theft; a gold thief is sentenced and executed with a musala by royal order, emphasizing the king’s role as upholder of dharma and public order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized king on throne with attendants, offender presented, symbolic musala shown, strong reds/ochres, emphasis on dharma-justice iconography rather than gore","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with ornate crown and gold embellishments, court setting with gold leaf highlights, offender kneeling, musala depicted ceremonially, moral-legal tableau","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional court composition: labels for 'steya' and 'suvarṇa-steya', clear depiction of musala and royal insignia, restrained depiction of punishment","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with courtiers, precise textiles and architecture, narrative moment of sentencing and guarded escort, musala visible as state instrument"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: steyam + ucyate → steyamucyate; para + sva + apaharaṇam → parasvāpaharaṇam; svarṇa + steyī → svarṇasteyī.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (rājadharma/vyavahāra and prāyaścitta adjacency)
FAQs
It provides a juridical definition of theft (steya) as unlawful appropriation of another’s property and states a specific royal penalty for gold-theft, treated as a form of expiatory purification.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves dharma-śāstra style governance material—definitions of offenses, the king’s duty to punish, and the idea of purification through punishment—showing its wide, practical scope.
It frames royal punishment as karmically expiatory: the gold-thief’s sin is considered cleansed through the king’s lawful execution, emphasizing both deterrence and purification within dharmic order.