Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
बहूनामेककार्याणां सर्वेषां शस्त्रधारिणां यद्येको घातकस्तत्र सर्वे ते घातकाः स्मृताः
bahūnāmekakāryāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ śastradhāriṇāṃ yadyeko ghātakastatra sarve te ghātakāḥ smṛtāḥ
Kapag maraming lalaking may sandata ang magkakasamang gumagawa ng iisang gawain, kung ang isa sa kanila ay naging mamamatay roon, itinuturing na mamamatay ang lahat ng kasama.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, consistent with Agni Purana’s framing)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Defines collective criminal liability in joint armed enterprises; supports royal jurisprudence (daṇḍanīti) for conspiracies, gangs, and military units committing homicide.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Collective liability in joint armed action (sāhāyya-doṣa)","lookup_keywords":["sahakāritva","śastra-dhārin","ekakārya","ghātaka","daṇḍanīti"],"quick_summary":"If many armed persons act together in one undertaking and one kills, all are treated as killers. Joint enterprise creates shared culpability."}
Weapon Type: General (armed men: śastra)
Concept: Complicity and shared intention/participation extend moral responsibility beyond the immediate actor.
Application: For governance: punish or require expiation for all participants in a violent conspiracy; for ethics: avoid association with armed wrongdoing.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dandaniti (Law, Justice, and Liability)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A group of armed men moving as one unit; one strikes a fatal blow while the rest stand in formation—yet all are marked by a shared ‘doṣa’ emblem, indicating collective guilt.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized warriors with shields and swords in a tight cluster, one warrior mid-strike, dharma-scale motif above indicating shared culpability, bold outlines and traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, warriors in ornate attire with gold highlights on weapons, central justice emblem (daṇḍa and scales), composition emphasizing unity of the group","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional diagram-like scene: multiple armed figures labeled ‘sarve’, one labeled ‘eko ghātaka’, with an arrow showing liability spreading to all; clean lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, band of soldiers in coordinated action in a street or battlefield edge, one delivering the blow, others surrounding, fine detail on arms and textiles, marginal note cartouche about shared guilt"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bahūnāmekakāryāṇāṃ → bahūnām eka-kāryāṇām; yadyeko → yadi ekaḥ; ghātakastatra → ghātakaḥ tatra.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (rajadharma/daṇḍanīti context around homicide and liability)
FAQs
It teaches a rule of dandaniti/nyaya: in a coordinated armed group action, liability for killing extends to the whole group when the killing occurs in furtherance of the shared enterprise.
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves practical governance knowledge—jurisprudence, policing, and punishment—here articulating a doctrine akin to accomplice or joint-liability in criminal acts.
It underscores collective moral accountability: participation in a violent, weapon-bearing enterprise implicates all participants in the resulting sin and its karmic consequences, even if only one delivers the fatal blow.