Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 11
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
सुराकामद्यूतकृतन्दण्डशुल्कावशिष्टकम् वृथा दानं तथैवेह पुत्रो दद्यान्न पैतृकम्
surākāmadyūtakṛtandaṇḍaśulkāvaśiṣṭakam vṛthā dānaṃ tathaiveha putro dadyānna paitṛkam
ทานที่ให้จากทรัพย์ซึ่งเหลือมาจากสุรา ความกำหนัด การพนัน ค่าปรับ และค่าผ่านทาง/ค่าธรรมเนียม ย่อมเป็นทานเปล่าประโยชน์ (ไร้ผลธรรม) ในที่นี้; และบุตรไม่พึงยกทรัพย์มรดกของบิดาให้เป็นทาน
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in dharma topics, per the Agni Purana’s usual narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethical screening of wealth sources for religious gifting; guidance on what kinds of income render dāna fruitless and limits on a son’s authority over paternal estate.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aśuddha-dravya-dāna-niṣedha (Futile gifts from impure/tainted wealth)","lookup_keywords":["sura","kāma","dyūta","daṇḍa","śulka","vṛthā-dāna"],"quick_summary":"Gifts made from wealth tied to liquor, sensual vice, gambling, fines, or tolls are declared fruitless; a son should not donate away the paternal estate."}
Concept: Dāna-phala depends on śuddhi of dravya (purity of means); adharmic acquisition undermines merit; stewardship limits on heirs.
Application: Before donating, verify lawful/ethical provenance of funds; heirs should preserve estate obligations and not alienate ancestral property without right.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Dāna-vidhi (Inheritance, lawful giving, and impure wealth)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor attempts to give wealth marked by vice (liquor shop, gambling dice, fines/tolls ledger); a sage or judge indicates the gift is futile; a son is stopped from giving away ancestral property deeds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic vignettes: dice game, wine vessel, toll ledger; central sage in ochre robes raising palm in prohibition; son holding palm-leaf deed of ancestral land, restrained by elder","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold, sage seated with aureole, donor offering coins and vessels; background motifs of dice and tavern sign; emphasis on moral prohibition gesture","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau with labeled sources of tainted wealth (dyūta, surā, daṇḍa, śulka); sage explaining, son holding inheritance document","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar scenes of gambling and excise/toll collection; foreground: scholar-jurist advising donor, son prevented from transferring ancestral estate, fine architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: surākāmadyūtakṛtam → surā-kāma-dyūta-kṛtam; daṇḍaśulkāvaśiṣṭakam → daṇḍa-śulka-avaśiṣṭakam; tathaiveha → tathā eva iha; dadyānna → dadyāt na.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (dāna-vidhi and vyavahāra adjacency)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-rule for dāna: charity is considered meritless if funded from tainted or socially censured sources (liquor, sensual vice, gambling) or from certain levies (fines/tolls), and it restricts gifting away ancestral property.
Beyond ritual worship, the Agni Purana also codifies practical social-legal norms—ethical economics, legitimacy of wealth, and inheritance constraints—showing its coverage of governance and civil dharma alongside religious instruction.
The verse teaches that intention alone does not sanctify giving: the moral quality of the source of wealth conditions karmic fruit, and protecting ancestral assets prevents adharmic depletion of family duty and lineage obligations.