Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 52
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
मिथ्या वदन् परीमाणं शुल्कस्थानादपक्रमन् दाप्यस्त्वष्टगुणं यश् च सव्याजक्रयविक्रयौ
mithyā vadan parīmāṇaṃ śulkasthānādapakraman dāpyastvaṣṭaguṇaṃ yaś ca savyājakrayavikrayau
جو ناپ تول کی مقدار جھوٹ بول کر بتائے، یا محصول کی چوکی سے بچ کر نکل جائے، اس سے آٹھ گنا جرمانہ وصول کیا جائے؛ اسی طرح فریب یا بہانے سے خرید و فروخت کرنے والا بھی قابلِ سزا ہے۔
Lord Agni (in instruction on rajadharma to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Anti-evasion and anti-fraud enforcement: penalize false measurement declarations and customs-post evasion with eightfold fines; punish sham transactions and fraudulent buying/selling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Eightfold penalty for false measurement, customs evasion, and fraudulent trade","lookup_keywords":["mithyā-parimāṇa","śulka-sthāna apakramaṇa","aṣṭa-guṇa daṇḍa","savyāja (pretext)","kraya-vikraya fraud"],"quick_summary":"Misstating quantity/measure or evading the customs post triggers an eightfold penalty. Fraudulent purchase/sale through pretext or deception is likewise punishable."}
Concept: Satya (truthfulness) in measurement and exchange; deterrence as protection of collective welfare.
Application: Standardize weights/measures; audit declarations; enforce strong penalties for evasion and sham contracts to maintain market integrity.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Law, and Revenue Administration)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A trader secretly alters weights and declares a false measure; another tries to bypass the customs post; officials catch them and impose an eightfold fine; a sham sale is exposed by a clerk comparing ledgers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic capture at customs gate, crooked scales shown clearly, officials pointing to standard weights, fine being collected, expressive faces, traditional mural palette and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, justice scene with king/judge and gold-leafed treasury, confiscated false weights displayed, offender paying multiplied fine, ornate frame and rich colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional focus on correct vs false measures, side-by-side scales, customs post signage, clerk demonstrating eightfold calculation, refined lines and gentle shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling checkpoint with detailed objects, hidden path of evader, guards intercepting, ledger audit scene, precise depiction of weights and coin stacks multiplied"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śulkasthānādapakraman = śulka-sthānāt + apakraman; dāpyastvaṣṭaguṇaṃ = dāpyaḥ + tu + aṣṭa-guṇam; yāś ca (in text yś ca) = yaḥ + ca; savyājakrayavikrayau analyzed as (sa-vyāja) + (kraya-vikraya) dvandva.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257.51 (customs duty); Agni Purana 257 (fraud/penalty framework)
FAQs
It teaches śulka-nīti: practical customs enforcement—penalizing false declaration of quantity, evasion of the customs post, and fraudulent buying/selling.
Beyond theology, it preserves administrative law: measurement standards, customs checkpoints, commercial fraud, and quantified fines—showing the Purana’s coverage of statecraft and economy.
Truthful dealing and honest weights/measures are treated as dharma; fraud and evasion generate demerit and social harm, hence the text mandates strict restitution to restore moral order.