Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 29
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
अपुत्रा योषितश् चैषां भर्तव्याः साधुवृत्तयः निर्वास्या व्यभिचारिण्यः प्रतिकूलास्तथैव च
aputrā yoṣitaś caiṣāṃ bhartavyāḥ sādhuvṛttayaḥ nirvāsyā vyabhicāriṇyaḥ pratikūlāstathaiva ca
ان میں بے اولاد عورتیں اگر نیک سیرت ہوں تو ان کی کفالت کی جائے؛ لیکن بدکار (زناکار) عورتیں اور اسی طرح جو شوہر/گھرانے کے خلاف ہوں، انہیں نکال دیا جائے۔
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within rajadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Household governance: maintenance for childless but virtuous wives; expulsion as a sanction for adultery or hostility toward the household.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Maintenance vs. expulsion of wives (conduct-based rule)","lookup_keywords":["aputra yoshit","sadhu-vritta","vyabhicharini","nirvasya","stri-dharma"],"quick_summary":"A childless wife of good conduct is maintained; adultery or active hostility triggers expulsion—linking support and residence rights to conduct."}
Concept: Gṛhastha-dharma balances compassion (maintenance) with social sanction (expulsion) based on conduct affecting household integrity.
Application: Codify household rules: provide sustenance to dependent spouses of good conduct; establish due process for proven adultery/hostility before expulsion.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Stri-dharma (Household & Social Law)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two contrasting domestic scenes: a respected, modestly dressed childless wife receiving provisions; and a separate scene of a hostile/adulterous wife being formally asked to leave the household by elders.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych composition, left: virtuous wife receiving rice and cloth from matron/elder, right: elders gesturing outward for expulsion, restrained expressions, traditional interior setting, strong outlines and flat colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate household interior with gold accents, virtuous wife seated near lamps receiving gifts; in background a formal expulsion scene with attendants, symbolic moral contrast, rich reds and gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, narrative sequence with clear gestures (giving vs. dismissal), fine detailing of domestic objects (granary, lamp, water pot), didactic clarity, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed zenana/courtyard setting, elders and scribe present, one scene of maintenance distribution, another of departure through an arched doorway, nuanced facial expressions"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"serious","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: योषितः+च+एषाम् → योषितश् चैषाम्; प्रतिकूलाः+तथा+एव → प्रतिकूलास्तथैव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (stri-dharma within inheritance/maintenance context)
FAQs
It imparts a rajadharmic norm: who must be maintained (a childless wife of good conduct) and who may be expelled (an adulteress or one hostile to the household).
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves practical governance and social-law guidance—here, domestic/administrative rules about support and expulsion within household order.
Supporting the righteous dependent is framed as dharma (meritorious duty), while removing conduct that violates marital fidelity or household harmony is treated as protecting moral order and limiting adharma’s consequences.