Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 79
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
तन्मन्त्रस्य च भेत्तारं छित्त्वा जिह्वां प्रवासयेत् राजयानासनारोढुर्दण्डो मध्यमसाहसः
tanmantrasya ca bhettāraṃ chittvā jihvāṃ pravāsayet rājayānāsanāroḍhurdaṇḍo madhyamasāhasaḥ
اور جو اس منتر کا بھید کھولے، اس کی زبان کاٹ کر اسے جلاوطن کیا جائے۔ اور جو بلا اجازت شاہی سواری کے تخت/نشست پر چڑھے، اس پر ‘مَدیَم ساہس’ درجے کا جرمانہ عائد ہو۔
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"State security and protocol enforcement: punish disclosure of confidential counsel/mantra; penalize unauthorized use of royal conveyance/seat with graded fines.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Punishment for divulging secret counsel; fine for unauthorized mounting of royal conveyance","lookup_keywords":["mantra-bheda","raja-rahasya","jihva-ccheda","pravasa","madhyama-sahasa"],"quick_summary":"Breach of state secrecy is treated as a severe offense with corporal punishment and banishment; violating royal protocol (mounting the king’s vehicle/seat) incurs a middle-grade sāhasa fine."}
Concept: Rāja-rahasya-rakṣaṇa (protection of royal secrets) as a pillar of governance; maryādā (protocol) safeguards sovereignty.
Application: Implement strict confidentiality rules for counsel and clear penalties for breaches; codify royal property/protocol violations under graded fines.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Danda-niti (Governance, Law, and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A court scene showing a secret-leaker being sentenced (symbolic tongue-cutting and exile order) and another offender being fined for climbing onto the royal palanquin/seat.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural narrative panel: king with ministers, a guard restraining a whispering courtier (secret-leaker), another figure stepping onto a royal palanquin, bold outlines and flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore court composition with gold-leaf palanquin and throne, offender touching the royal seat, treasurer presenting fine tablets, ornate jewelry and halos for royal figures.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting emphasizing procedure: scribe reading charges of mantra-bheda, king gesturing banishment, separate vignette of unauthorized mounting of royal vehicle, delicate shading and clean lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with detailed palanquin, guards, and clerks; the accused leaker confronted by ministers; fine being assessed with coin bags, architectural depth and patterned carpets."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"stern","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तन्मन्त्रस्य = तत् + मन्त्रस्य; राजयानासनारोढुर् = राज-यान-आसन-आरोढुः (visarga→r before d).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (graded sāhasa and punishments)
FAQs
It lays down danda-niti: (1) strict enforcement of mantra-secrecy by penal measures, and (2) a graded legal penalty (madhyama-sāhasa fine) for violating royal protocol by mounting the king’s conveyance/seat without authorization.
Beyond theology, it preserves a digest of practical jurisprudence—punishments, categories of offenses (sāhasa), and courtly/royal-security protocol—showing the Purana’s coverage of governance and law alongside ritual and doctrine.
It treats betrayal of sacred trust (mantra-bheda) and disrespect of royal authority as heavy adharma, implying severe karmic fault; the prescribed danda is framed as social purification—deterring harm and restoring dharmic order.