Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 13
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
उद्गूर्णे हस्तपादे तु दशविंशतिकौ दमौ परस्परन्तु सर्वेषां शास्त्रे मध्यमसाहसः
udgūrṇe hastapāde tu daśaviṃśatikau damau parasparantu sarveṣāṃ śāstre madhyamasāhasaḥ
若有人举手或抬足欲击人，罚金为十或二十达摩（dāma）；若诸方互相如此，则诸论典（śāstra）判为“中等暴行”（madhyama-sāhasa）。
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha on rajadharma/penal law)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Magistrates and village/royal courts can grade assault by intent (raising hand/foot) and context (mutual affray) to set standardized fines and avoid arbitrary punishment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Madhyama-sāhasa: fine for raised hand/foot and mutual affray","lookup_keywords":["udgūrṇa-hasta","udgūrṇa-pāda","daṇḍa (fine)","madhyama-sāhasa","mutual assault"],"quick_summary":"Merely raising the hand or foot to strike attracts a small fine; when the act is mutual among parties, it is classified under the middle grade of violent offence (madhyama-sāhasa) for legal handling."}
Concept: Daṇḍanīti calibrates punishment by act, intent, and reciprocity to preserve social order.
Application: Courts distinguish threat/attempt from completed injury; mutual fights are treated as a higher category to discourage brawls.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dandaniti / Legal penalties and grades of assault)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A courtroom scene where two men raise hand/foot to strike; the judge records a small fine, then notes mutual affray as madhyama-sāhasa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, royal sabhā with a seated rājā-judge, palm-leaf clerk, two disputants with raised hands, restrained earthy palette, clear gesture language, traditional ornaments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gilded court setting with ornate throne, judge holding daṇḍa-symbol, two litigants mid-gesture, gold leaf highlights on jewelry and pillars, frontal composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional legal tableau: judge, scribe, fine amounts shown on palm-leaf, two parties in mutual quarrel, delicate lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with qazi-like judge and scribes, two men in a scuffle gesture, marginal notes indicating fines, architectural depth and patterned textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परस्परन्तु → परस्परम् + तु. हस्तपादे treated as dvandva ‘हस्त-पाद’ in locative dual. मध्यमसाहसः analyzed as कर्मधारय compound मध्यम+साहस.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (Vyavahāra/Daṇḍanīti: sāhasa gradations and fines)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of dandanīti: merely raising the hand/foot to strike is punishable by a graded monetary fine (10 or 20 dāmas), and mutual aggression is treated under the category of madhyama-sāhasa.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance material—fine schedules, legal categories (sāhasa), and standards for adjudicating interpersonal violence—showing its scope as a compendium of statecraft and jurisprudence.
By prescribing proportionate punishment for violent intent and mutual fighting, it supports dharma through restraint of harm (ahiṃsā) and social order; curbing aggression reduces negative karma arising from injury and enmity.