Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 20
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
पतिव्रतासु च स्त्रीषु विधबास्वातुरासु च जीवन्तीनान्तु तासां ये संहरेयुः स्ववान्धवाः
pativratāsu ca strīṣu vidhabāsvāturāsu ca jīvantīnāntu tāsāṃ ye saṃhareyuḥ svavāndhavāḥ
ในกรณีสตรีผู้ซื่อสัตย์ต่อสามี หญิงหม้าย และสตรีเจ็บป่วย เมื่อยังมีชีวิตอยู่ หากแม้เป็นญาติของตนเองแต่กลับยึดเอาทรัพย์หรือเครื่องยังชีพของนางไป ผู้นั้นย่อมเป็นผู้ควรถูกลงโทษตามธรรมบัญญัติ
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Protecting the property and maintenance (jīvikā) of vulnerable dependents—pativratā women, widows, and the sick—by treating wrongful seizure even by relatives as a punishable offense.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Wrongful seizure of maintenance/property of dependent women and the sick","lookup_keywords":["pativrata","vidhava","atura","bandhu-apahara","jivika-harana"],"quick_summary":"Seizing the means of support/property of devoted wives, widows, or sick women while they are alive—especially by their own relatives—is a legally culpable wrong requiring state intervention."}
Concept: Dharma as protection of the weak (anātha/āśrita) and restraint of greed even within kinship ties.
Application: Frame inheritance/maintenance rules and guardianship so dependents cannot be dispossessed during their lifetime.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dharma-shastra (Inheritance, protection of dependents, legal-ethical duties)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A widow and a sick woman seated with minimal belongings while aggressive relatives attempt to seize their household goods; a royal judge/king’s officer intervenes to stop the confiscation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, stylized faces; scene of a compassionate king’s court protecting a widow and an ill woman from grasping relatives, traditional attire, palm-leaf documents, moral-dharma emphasis","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights; central righteous king seated on throne, halo-like arch, attendants; widow and sick woman petitioning, relatives shown restrained; ornate jewelry and gilded borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate lines and soft shading; courtroom scene with legal scrolls, emphasis on ethical instruction, calm but firm royal authority preventing property seizure","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior of a court, textiles and carpets; widow and sick woman with a petition, relatives reaching for goods, officials intervening; fine architectural perspective and naturalistic faces"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विधबास्वातुरासु = विधबासु + आतुरासु; जीवन्तीनान्तु = जीवन्तीनाम् + तु; संहरेयुः (सम्-√हृ); स्ववान्धवाः = स्व + बान्धवाः (स्व- prefixed).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 222.21-222.24 (penalties, restitution, taxation and trade duties)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-legal rule: even close relatives must not appropriate the property or means of support of living pativratā women, widows, or the sick—establishing a protection norm within Rajadharma/Dharma-shastra.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance and civil-ethical norms—here, rules about family conduct, protection of vulnerable dependents, and improper seizure of assets—showing its wide coverage of law and social order.
Seizing the livelihood/property of vulnerable living women is treated as adharma; refraining from it protects one’s merit (puṇya) and avoids the karmic fault associated with exploitation and breach of familial duty.