Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 7
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
न निषेध्यो ऽल्पबाधस्तु सेतुः कल्याणकारकः परभूमिं हरन् कूपः स्वल्पक्षेत्रो बहूदकः
na niṣedhyo 'lpabādhastu setuḥ kalyāṇakārakaḥ parabhūmiṃ haran kūpaḥ svalpakṣetro bahūdakaḥ
Một con đê/bờ đắp (setu) chỉ gây trở ngại nhỏ thì không nên cấm, vì đem lại lợi ích chung. Nhưng một cái giếng lấn sang đất người khác—dẫu chiếm ít diện tích và cho nhiều nước—thì không được phép.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Regulating public works (embankments) versus private encroachment (wells) in property and water-rights disputes.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Permissible Embankments and Impermissible Encroaching Wells","lookup_keywords":["setu","jaladhikara","parabhumi-harana","kupa","public benefit"],"quick_summary":"A beneficial embankment causing only minor inconvenience should be allowed. A well that encroaches on another’s land is not allowed even if it occupies little space and yields much water."}
Concept: Balancing loka-kalyana (public good) with paradhikara-anatikrama (non-encroachment on others’ rights).
Application: Approve minor-nuisance public works; prohibit private gain achieved by trespass, even if socially useful.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Civil Law: Property, Water-rights, Public Works)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: artha
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two contrasting scenes: villagers benefiting from a small embankment guiding water to fields; nearby, a well dug slightly over a boundary line is shown as unlawful encroachment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural split-panel: left—setu embankment with flowing canal and green paddy; right—kupa well crossing a boundary line, elders gesturing disapproval; bold outlines, flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style agrarian prosperity scene with gold accents: embankment and irrigated fields, then a symbolic boundary line with a well intruding, emphasizing dharmic prohibition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting didactic diagram: embankment labeled ‘setu’ with ‘alpabadhā’; well labeled ‘kūpa’ crossing ‘parabhūmi’; neat composition for legal instruction.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of irrigation works: workers shaping a bund, officials measuring land; a separate vignette shows a disputed well at the boundary with survey ropes and registers."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निषेध्यो ऽल्पबाधस्तु → निषेध्यः + अल्पबाधः + तु; बहूदकः → बहु + उदकः (vowel sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (setu, kshetra, water-rights)
FAQs
It teaches a practical rule of civil administration: allow beneficial waterworks like embankments if they cause only minor obstruction, but prohibit wells that encroach on another person’s land.
Beyond theology, it preserves governance and legal norms—especially water management and property boundaries—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of civic engineering and jurisprudence alongside religious instruction.
It frames dharma as balancing public welfare with non-injury and non-theft: promoting community-benefiting works while restraining unlawful appropriation of others’ property.