Agni Purana

वस्त्रादिकस्य धर्म्मज्ञ तथा धर्मो न हीयते । यो निक्षेपं घातयति यश्चानिक्षिप्य याचते ।। २२७.

O knower of dharma, the same rule applies for garments and similar items; the law is not diminished. Whoever destroys a deposit or asks for what was not deposited—

तावुभौ चौरवच्छास्यौ दण्ड्यौ वा द्विगुणं दमं । अज्ञानाद्यः पुमान् कुर्य्यात् परद्रव्यस्य विक्रयं ।। २२७.

Both are to be punished like thieves, and must pay double the penalty: the one who, out of ignorance, sells another's property.

निर्द्दोषो ज्ञानपूर्वन्तु चौरवद्दण्डमर्हति

Even one who is blameless, if he knowingly acts, deserves punishment like a thief.

मूल्यमादाय यः शिल्पं न दद्याद् दण्ड्य एव सः ।। २२७.११ प्रतिश्रुत्याप्रदातारं सुवर्णं दण्डयेन्नृपः । भृति गृह्य न कुर्य्याद्यः कर्माष्टौ कृष्णला दमः ।। २२८.

Whoever, having received payment for a craft, does not deliver it, is indeed punishable.

अकाले तु त्यजन् भृत्यं दण्ड्यः स्यात्तावदेव तु । क्रीत्वा विक्रीय वा किञ्चिद्यस्येहानुशयो भवेत् ।। २२८.

One who dismisses a servant before the proper time is punishable to that extent; and if, after buying or selling something, he regrets it—

सोऽन्तर्दशाहात्तत्स्वामी दद्याच्चैवाददीत च । परेण तु दशाहस्य नादद्यान्नैव दापयेत् ।। २२८.

Within ten days, the owner may return or reclaim it; but after ten days, he should neither take it back nor be made to return it.

दत्ताप्यदत्ता सा सस्य राज्ञा दण्ड्यः शतद्वयं । प्रदाय कन्यां योऽन्यस्मै पुनस्तां सम्प्रयच्छति ।। २२७.

Even if a girl has been given, but not yet handed over, the giver is to be fined two hundred by the king if he gives her again to another.

दण्डः कार्य्यो नरेन्द्रेण तस्याप्युत्तमसाहसः । सत्यङ्‌कारेण वाचा च युक्तं पुण्यमसंशयं ।। २२७.

The king should impose the highest fine for that as well; and with truthful intent and speech, there is certainly merit.

लुब्धोऽन्यत्र च विक्रेता षट्‌शतं दण्डमर्हति । दद्यार्द्धनुं न यः पालो गृहीत्वा भक्तवेतनं ।। २२७.

A greedy seller elsewhere deserves a fine of six hundred; and a herdsman who, having received food and wages, does not give half a bow, is at fault.

स तु दण्ड्यः शतं राज्ञा सुवर्णं वाप्यरक्षिता । धनुःशतं परीणा्हो ग्रामस्य तु समन्ततः ।। २२८.

He should be fined a hundred by the king, or a gold piece if he fails to protect; the measure of a hundred bows is the boundary all around a village.

द्विगुणं त्रिगुणं वापि नगरस्य च कल्पयेत् । वृति तत्र प्रकुर्वीत यामुष्ट्रो नावलोकयेत् ।। २२७.

For a city, he should set double or triple that; but in that case, the camel-keeper should not inspect the produce.

तत्रापरिवृते धान्ये हिंसिते नैव दण्डनं । गृहन्तडागमारामं क्षेत्रं वा भीषया हरन् ।। २२७.

If, in an unprotected field, the grain is damaged, there is no punishment; but one who seizes a house, orchard, or field by threat—

शतानि पञ्च दण्ड्यः स्यादज्ञानाद्‌द्विशतोदमः । मर्यादाभेदकाः सर्वे दण्ड्याः प्रथमसाहसं ।। २२७.

He should be fined five hundred, or two hundred if done unknowingly; all who break boundaries are to be punished with the first degree of fine.

शतं ब्राह्मणमाक्रुश्य क्षत्रियो दण्डमर्हति । वैश्यश्च द्विशतं राम शूद्रश्च बधमर्हति ।। २२७.

A Kshatriya who abuses a Brahmin deserves a fine of one hundred; a Vaishya, two hundred, O Rama, and a Shudra deserves corporal punishment.

पञ्चाशद्‌ब्राह्मणो दण्ड्यः क्षत्रियस्याभिशंसने । वैश्ये वाप्यर्द्धपञ्चाशच्छूद्रे द्वादशको दमः ।। २२७.

A Brahmin who abuses a Kshatriya is fined fifty; for a Vaishya, half of fifty, and for a Shudra, the penalty is twelve.

क्षत्रियस्याप्नुयाद्वैश्यः साहसं पूर्वमेव तु । शूद्रः क्षत्रियमाक्रुश्य जिह्वाच्छेदनमाप्नुयात् ।। २२८.

A Vaishya who abuses a Kshatriya incurs the first degree of fine; but a Shudra who abuses a Kshatriya should have his tongue cut off.

धर्मोपदेशं विप्राणां शूद्रः कुर्वंश्च दण्डभाक् । श्रुतदेशादिवितथी दाप्यो द्विगुणसाहसं ।। २२७.

A Shudra who gives instruction in dharma to Brahmins is liable to punishment; one who gives false testimony about what is heard or seen must pay double the highest fine.

उत्तमः साहसस्तस्य यः पापैरुत्तमान् क्षिपेत् । प्रमादाद्यैर्मया प्रोक्तं प्रीत्या दण्डार्द्धमर्हति ।। २२७.

He deserves the highest fine who slanders the virtuous with evil words; but if done out of carelessness or affection, he should pay half the fine, as I have said.

मातरं पितरं ज्येष्ठं भ्रातरं श्वशुरं गुरुं । आक्षारयञ्छतं दण्ड्यः पन्थानं चाददद्‌गुरोः ।। २२७.

Whoever abuses his mother, father, elder brother, father-in-law, or teacher, or takes his teacher's path, is to be fined one hundred.

अन्त्यजातिर्द्विजातिन्तु येनाङ्गेनापराध्नुयात् । तदेवच्छेदयेत्तस्य क्षिप्रमेवाविचारयन् ।। २२७.

If a person of a lower caste or even a twice-born commits an offense with any limb, that very limb should be cut off by the king immediately, without hesitation.

अवनिष्ठीवतो दर्पाद्‌ द्वावोष्ठौ छेदयेन्नृपः । अपमूत्रयतो मेढ्रमपशब्दयतो गुदं ।। २२७.

If someone spits on the ground out of arrogance, the king should cut off both lips; for urinating in public, the penis; for uttering obscene words, the anus.

उत्कृष्टासनसंस्थस्य नीचस्याधोनिकृन्तनं । यो यदङ्गं च रुजयेत्तदङ्गन्तस्य कर्त्तयेत् ।। २२७.

If an inferior person sits on a superior seat, his buttocks should be cut; and whatever limb causes harm, that limb should be severed.

अर्द्धपादकराः कार्या गोगजाश्वोष्ट्रघातकाः । वृक्षन्तु विफलं कृत्त्वा सुवर्ण दण्डमर्हति ।। २२७.

Those who kill cows, elephants, horses, or camels should have half their feet and hands cut off; one who destroys a fruitless tree should pay a fine in gold.

द्विगुणं दाप्येच्छिन्ने पथि सीम्नि जलाशये । द्रव्याणि यो हरेद्यस्य ज्ञानतोऽज्ञानतोऽपि वा ।। २२७.

If someone steals or damages property on a road, boundary, or water reservoir, he should pay double the value, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

स सस्योत्पाद्य तुष्टिन्तु राज्ञे दद्यात्ततो दमं । यस्तु रज्जुं घटं कूपाद्धरेच्छिन्द्याच्च तां प्रपां ।। २२७.

He must give to the king the produce or profit obtained, and then pay the prescribed penalty; one who takes a rope or pot from a well, or cuts the rope of a public water source,

स दण्डं प्राप्नुयान्‌मासं दण्ड्यः स्यात् प्राणिताड़ने । धान्यं दशभ्यः कुम्भेभ्यो हरतोऽभ्यधिकं बधः ।। २२७.

Such a person should be punished for a month; if he endangers life, he is punishable by death; one who steals more than ten pots of grain deserves death.

शेषेऽप्येकादशगुणं तस्य दण्डं प्रकल्पयेत् । सुवर्णरजतीदीनां नृस्त्रीणां हरणे बधः ।। २२७.

For the rest, the penalty should be eleven times the value; for stealing gold, silver, or women, the punishment is death.

येन येन यथाह्गेन स्तेनो नृषु विचेष्टते । तत्तदेव हरेदस्य प्रत्यादेशाय पार्थिवः ।। २२७.

However and with whichever limb a thief acts among men, the king should confiscate that very thing from him as retribution.

ब्राह्मणः शाकधान्यादि अल्पं गृह्णन्न दोषबाक् । गोदेवार्थं हरंश्चापि हन्याद्दुष्टं बधोद्यतं ।। २२७.

A Brahmin who takes a small amount of vegetables or grain is not considered at fault; but one who steals for the sake of cattle or gods, if wicked, should be killed if he is ready to commit evil.