Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 9
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
फालाहतमपि क्षेत्रं यो न कुर्यान्न कारयेत् चत्वारो ऽथ दशापि वेति ख , ग , ञ च स प्रदाप्यो ऽकृष्टफलं क्षेत्रमन्येन कारयेत्
phālāhatamapi kṣetraṃ yo na kuryānna kārayet catvāro 'tha daśāpi veti kha , ga , ña ca sa pradāpyo 'kṛṣṭaphalaṃ kṣetramanyena kārayet
Kahit ang bukirin ay nasuyod na ng araro (naipaghanda na), ang sinumang hindi magtatanim mismo at hindi rin magpapatanim sa iba—(may ibang pagbasa: ‘apat’ o ‘sampu’, ayon sa mga pangkat ng manuskrito kha, ga, ña)—ay dapat pagbayarin ng tinayang ani para sa pananim na hindi naitanim; at ang bukirin ay ipasaka sa iba.
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of the Agni Purana, instructing a sage interlocutor)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Preventing fallow neglect: imposing assessed-yield liability on non-cultivating holders and arranging substitute cultivation to protect revenue and food security.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Penalty for Neglecting a Ploughed/Prepared Field and Compulsory Cultivation by Another","lookup_keywords":["phalāhata","akrishta-phala","kshetra-tyaga","assessed yield","substitute cultivator"],"quick_summary":"If a holder lets a prepared field remain uncultivated, he must pay the assessed yield for the missed crop, and the authority should have the field cultivated by someone else."}
Concept: Karma-yoga in social form: one must not waste productive resources; neglect incurs liability and corrective action.
Application: Use incentives/penalties to keep land productive; enable reassignment/lease to active cultivators.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Law of property, agriculture, and penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Village/agrarian domain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ploughed field lies idle; an official assesses the lost yield; the negligent holder pays a fine; another farmer is appointed to sow and cultivate the land.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural agrarian justice: brown ploughed furrows, idle owner with downcast posture, royal officer with palm-leaf ledger, new cultivator sowing seeds; decorative borders and stylized cattle.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting emphasizing dharmic kingship: official collecting assessed grain/coins, gold highlights on insignia; background shows plough and sowing by substitute cultivator.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore didactic sequence: prepared field (phalāhata), neglect, assessment of ‘akṛṣṭa-phala’, reassignment to another cultivator; clear labels and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with detailed rural landscape: furrowed field, tax officer with register, exchange of coins, then sowing scene with workers and oxen, fine naturalistic detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: फालाहतमपि → फाल-आहतम् + अपि; कुर्यान्न → कुर्यात् + न; यो न कुर्यान्न कारयेत् (double negation with sandhi); चत्वारो ऽथ → चत्वारः + अथ; दशापि → दश + अपि; प्रदाप्यो ऽकृष्टफलं → प्रदाप्यः + अकृष्ट-फलम्; क्षेत्रमन्येन → क्षेत्रम् + अन्येन.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (agriculture, penalties, revenue)
FAQs
It lays down an agrarian liability rule: if someone has a field prepared but fails to cultivate it (personally or through workers), he must pay an assessed produce/compensation for the unrealized crop, and the administration may have the land cultivated by someone else.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical Rajadharma—regulation of land use, productivity, and penalties—showing the Purana’s coverage of governance and civil/legal norms alongside ritual and spiritual topics.
It frames responsible stewardship of resources as a dharmic duty: neglecting productive land is treated as a punishable lapse, reinforcing karma through social accountability and the ethical obligation to sustain livelihood and order.