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
การร่วมสัมพันธ์กับทาสหญิงที่ถูกคุมไว้/ถูกกักไว้ และกับภุชิษยา (หญิงผู้เป็นทาสพึ่งพา) แม้นางจะนับว่า ‘เข้าหาได้’ ในกรณีอื่น ชายต้องถูกปรับห้าสิบ (ปณะ) เป็นโทษขั้นต่ำ.
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).