Agni Purana

मण्डनं वर्जयेन्नारी तथा प्रोषितभर्तृका । देवताराधनपरा तिष्ठेद्भर्त्तृहिते रता ।। २२२.

A woman whose husband is away should avoid adornment; she should be devoted to worshipping the deities and intent on her husband's welfare.

धारयेन्मङ्गलार्थाय किञ्चिदाभरणन्तथा । भर्त्राग्नि या विशेन्नारी सापि स्वर्गमवाप्नुयात् ।। २२२.

She should wear some ornament for auspiciousness; a woman who enters the fire with her husband also attains heaven.

श्रियः सम्पूजनङ्कार्य्यं गृहसम्मार्जनादिकं । द्वादश्यांकात्तिके विष्णुं गां सवत्सां ददेत्तथा ।। २२२.

One should perform the worship of Shri, and household cleaning and the like; on the twelfth day in Kartika, one should give a cow with a calf to Vishnu.

सप्तम्यां मार्गशीर्षे तु सितेऽभ्यर्च्य दिवाकरं ।। २२२.

On the seventh day of the bright fortnight in Margashirsha, one should worship the Sun.

पुष्कर उवाच ग्रामस्याधिपति कुर्य्याद्दशग्रामाधिपं नृपः । शतग्रामाधिपञ्चान्यं तथैव विषयेस्वरं ।। २२३.

Pushkara said: The king should appoint a headman for the village, a chief over ten villages, another over a hundred villages, and likewise a lord over the district.

तेषां भोगविभागश्च भवेत् कर्म्मानुरूपतः । नित्यमेव तथा कार्य्यं तेतषाञ्चारैः परीक्षणं ।। २२३.

Their enjoyment and distribution of wealth shall be according to their deeds; their conduct must always be examined accordingly.

ग्रामे दोषान् समुत्पन्नान् ग्रामेशः प्रशमं नयेत् । अशक्तो दशपालस्य स तु गत्वा निवेदयेत् ।। २२३.

When faults arise in the village, the village head should resolve them; if unable, he must report them to the leader of ten households.

श्रुत्वापि दशपालोऽपि तत्र युक्तिमुपाचरेत् । वित्ताद्याप्नोति राजा वै विष्यात्तु सुरक्षइतात् ।। २२३.

Hearing this, the leader of ten households should act with proper means; the king receives wealth and other dues from the district, and thus ensures its protection.

धनवान्धर्म्ममाप्नोति धनवान् काममश्नुते । उच्छिद्यन्ते विना ह्यर्थै१ क्रिया ग्रीष्मे सरिद्यथा ।। २२३.

The wealthy obtain righteousness, and the wealthy enjoy desires; without resources, actions cease, just as rivers dry up in summer.

विशेषो नास्ति लोकेषु पतितस्याधनस्य च । पतितान्न तु गृह्णन्ति दरिद्रो न प्रयच्छति ।। २२३.

There is no distinction in the world between one who has fallen and one who is destitute; people do not accept from the fallen, nor does the poor man give.

राष्ट्रपीडाकरो राजा नरके वसते चिरं ।। २२३.

A king who oppresses his realm dwells long in hell.

किं यज्ञैस्तपसा तस्य प्रजा यस्य न रक्षिताः । सुरक्षिताः प्रचजा यस्य स्वर्गस्तस्य गृहोपमः ।। २२३.

What use are sacrifices or austerities for one whose subjects are not protected? For him whose subjects are well protected, heaven is like his own home.

अरक्षिताः प्र्जा यस्य नरकं तस्य मन्दिरं । राजा षड्‌बागमादत्ते सुकृताद्‌दुष्कृतादपि ।। २२२.

For him whose subjects are unprotected, his palace is like hell; the king takes a sixth share from both good and evil deeds.

धर्म्मागमो रक्षणाच्च पापाप्नोत्यरक्षणात् । सुभगा विटभीतेव राजवल्लभतस्करैः ।। २२२.

By protecting, righteousness is attained; by failing to protect, sin is incurred. The fortunate woman, like a courtesan, is subject to the king, his favorites, and thieves.

निधिंद्विजात्तमः प्राप्य गृह्णीयात्सकलं तथा ।। २२२.

Having found a treasure, the best of twice-born should take it all accordingly.

चतुर्थमष्टमं भागं तथा षोडशमं द्विजः । वर्णकमेण दद्याच्च निधिं पात्रे तु धर्म्मतः ।। २२२.

A twice-born should give a fourth, an eighth, or a sixteenth part, according to caste, and bestow the treasure righteously to a worthy recipient.

अनृतन्तु वदन् दण्ड्यः७ सुवित्तस्यांशमष्टमं । प्रणष्टस्वामिकमृक्‌थं राजा त्र्यव्दं निधापयेत् ।। २२२.

One who speaks falsely is to be fined an eighth part of the wealth; if the owner of the lost property is not found, the king should keep it for three years.

अर्वाक्‌ त्र्यब्दाद्धरेत्‌स्वामी परेण नृपतिर्हरेत् । ममेदमितिया ब्रूयात् सोऽर्थयुक्तो यथाविधि ।। २२२.

If the owner claims it within three years, he should receive it; after that, the king shall take it. The claimant must declare, 'This is mine,' with proper justification.

सम्पाद्य रूपसङ्ख्यादोन् स्वामी तद्‌ द्रव्यमर्हति । बालदायादिकमृक्थं८ तावद्राजानुपालपेत् ।। २२२.

When the owner presents the form and count, he deserves the property; property belonging to minors and heirs should be protected by the king until then.

यावत्स्यात्स समावृत्तो यावद्वातीतशैशवः । बालपुत्रासु चैवं स्याद्रक्षणं निष्कुलासु च ।। २२२.

Until the minor comes of age or passes childhood, the king should protect the property of young sons and those without family.

पतिव्रतासु च स्त्रीषु विधबास्वतुरासु च । जीवन्तीनान्तु तासां ये संहरेयुः स्ववान्धवाः ।। २२२.

So also for women who are devoted wives, widows, or those without protectors; if their relatives seize their property while they live,

ताञ्‌छिष्याच्चौरदण्डेन धार्म्मिकः कृथिवीपतिः । सामान्यतो हृतञ्चौरैस्तद्वै दद्यात् स्वयं नृपः ।। २२२.

The righteous king should punish them with the penalty for theft; if property is taken by thieves, the king himself should restore it.

चौररक्षाधिकारिब्यो राजापि हृतमाप्नुयात् । अहृते यो हृतं ब्रूयान्निः सार्यो दण्ड्य एव सः ।। २२२.

Even the king may recover stolen property from those responsible for protection against theft; whoever falsely claims stolen property should be expelled and punished.

न तद्राज्ञा प्रदातव्यं गृहे यद्‌ गृहगैर्हृतं । स्राष्ट्रपण्यादादद्याद्राजा विंशतिमं द्विज ।। २२२.

A king must not accept in his house that which has been stolen by household thieves; but from goods of the realm, the king should take a twentieth part from a twice-born man.

शुल्कांशं परदेशाच्च क्षयव्ययप्रकाशकं । ज्ञात्वा सङ्कल्पयेच्छुल्कं लाभं वणिग्यथाप्नुयात् ।। २२२.

Knowing the share of tolls from foreign lands, which reveals loss and expenditure, he should determine the toll so that the merchant may gain profit.

विंशांशं लाभमादद्याद्दण्डनीयस्ततोऽन्यया । स्त्रीणां प्रव्रजितानाञ्च९ तरशुल्कं विवर्जयेत् ।। २२२.

He should take a twentieth part of the profit; if there is a penalty, then more. But from women and ascetics, he should not take any crossing toll.

तरेषु दासदोषेण नष्टं दासास्तु दापयेत् । शूकधान्येषु षड्‌भागं शिम्बिधान्ये तथाष्टमं ।। २२२.

If something is lost due to the fault of servants at the crossing, the servants must make restitution; from grain in the husk, he should take a sixth part, and from pulse, an eighth part.

राजा वन्यार्थमादद्याद्देशकालानुरूपकं । पञ्चषङ्भागमादद्याद् राजा पशुहिरण्ययोः ।। २२२.

The king should take a share for forest produce, appropriate to place and time; from cattle and gold, the king should take a fifth or a sixth part.

गन्धौषधिरसानाञ्च भाण्डानां सर्वस्यास्ममयस्य च । पत्रशाकतृणानाञ्च वंशवैणवचर्म्मणं ।। २२२.

From perfumes, medicinal herbs, juices, all kinds of vessels, and all items made of stone, as well as leaves, vegetables, grasses, bamboo, flutes, and leather—