Agni Purana

अन्यहस्ते च विक्रीतं दुष्टं वा दुष्टवद्यदि । विक्रीनीते दमस्तत्र तन्मूल्यादद्विगुणो भवेत् ।। २५८.

If something sold to another is found to be defective or is treated as such, the seller must pay a penalty twice the value of the item.

क्षयं वृद्धिञ्च बणिजापण्यानामविजानता । क्रीत्वा नानुशयः कार्य्यः कुर्वन् षड्‌भागदण्डभाक् ।। २५८.

If someone buys goods from merchants without knowing their depreciation or appreciation, he should not be blamed; but if he acts knowingly, he is liable to a fine of one-sixth.

समवायेन वणिजां लाभार्थं कर्म कुर्वतां । लाभालाभौ यथा द्रव्यं यथा वा संविदा कृतौ ।। २५८.

When merchants act together for profit, gain and loss should be divided according to the capital invested or as agreed upon.

प्रतिपिद्धमनादिष्टं प्रमादाद्यच्च नाशितं । स तद्दद्याद् विप्लवाच्च रक्षइताद्दसमांशभाक् ।। २५८.

If something entrusted is lost without instruction due to negligence, the responsible person must pay for it; if lost by calamity, he is liable for one-tenth.

अर्थप्रक्षएपणाद्विंशं भागं शुल्कं नृपो हरेत् । व्यासिद्धं राजयोग्यञ्च विक्रीतं राजगामि तत् ।। २५८.

From the declared profit, the king shall take a twentieth part as tax; goods that are prohibited or suitable for the king, when sold, go to the king.

मित्थ्या वदन् परीमाणं शुल्कस्थानादपक्रमम् । दाप्यस्त्वष्टगुणं यश्च सव्याजक्रयविक्रयी ।। २५८.

One who gives false measurements, evades the place of tax, or buys and sells with deceit, must pay eight times the value as a penalty.

देशान्तरगते प्रेते द्रव्यं दायादबान्धवाः । ज्ञातयो वा हरेयुस्तदागतास्तैर्विना नृपः ।। २५९.

If someone dies in a foreign land, his property should be taken by heirs or relatives who are present; if none are present, the king shall take it.

जिह्मं त्यजेयुर्निर्लोभमशक्तोऽन्येन कारयेत् । अनेन विधिराख्यात ऋत्विक्कर्षककर्मिणां ।। २५९.

They should abandon crookedness without greed; if unable, another should do it. This rule is declared for priests, farmers, and workers.

ग्राहकैर्गृह्यते चौरो लोप्त्रेणाथ पदेन वा । पूर्वकर्मापराधी वा तथैवाशुद्धवासकः ।। २५८.

A thief is apprehended by the buyers, with a shovel or by his footprints, or if he is a repeat offender or wears unclean clothes.

अन्येपि शङ्कया ग्राह्य जातिनामादिनिह्नवैः । द्यूतस्त्रीपानशक्ताश्च शुष्कभिन्नमुखस्वराः ।। २५८.

Others may also be seized on suspicion, such as those who conceal their caste or name, gamblers, drunkards, those with dry or broken voices.

परद्रव्यगृहाणाञ्च पृच्छका गूढ़चारिणः । निराया व्ययवन्तश्च विनष्टद्रव्यविक्रयाः ।। २५८.

Those who enter others' houses, questioners, house-wanderers, those who roam aimlessly, spend excessively, or sell lost goods.

गृहीतः शङ्कया चौर्य्येनाम्नानञ्चेद्विशोधयेत् । दापयित्वा हृतं द्रव्यं चोरदण्डेन दण्डयेत् ।। २५८.

If someone is apprehended on suspicion of theft, he should clear himself by oath; if found guilty, he must restore the stolen property and be punished with the thief's penalty.

चौरं प्रदाप्यापहृतं घातयेद्विविधैर्बधैः । सचिह्नं ब्राह्मणं कृत्वा स्वराष्ट्राद्विप्रवासयेत् ।। २५८.

A thief must restore what was stolen and be executed by various punishments; if a Brahmin is marked as such, he should be exiled from his own country.

घातितेऽपहृते दोषो ग्रामभर्त्तुरमिर्गते । म्वसीम्नि दद्याद्ग्रामस्तु पदं वा यत्र गच्छति ।। २५८.

If a killing or theft occurs, the fault lies with the village headman if he is present; if he is absent, the village as a whole must pay the fine, or wherever the incident took place.

पञ्चग्रामी वहिः क्रोशाद्दशग्राम्यऽथ वा पुनः । वन्दिग्राहांस्तथा वाजिकञ्जराणाञ्च हारिणः ।। २५८.

A person from five villages, or from ten villages outside the boundary, as well as those who seize travelers, horse thieves, and deer stealers—

प्रसह्य घातिश्चैव शूलमारोपयेन्नरान् । उत्क्षेपकग्रन्थिभेदौ करसन्दंशहीतकौ ।। २५८.

Those who commit murder by force should be impaled on a stake; those who throw (victims) down or break joints, or injure hands with pincers—

कार्य्यौ द्वितीयापराधे करपादैकहीनकौ । भक्तावकाशाग्न्युदकमन्त्रोपकरणव्ययान् ।। २५८.

For a second offense, the punishment is cutting off one hand or one foot; the expenses for food, shelter, fire, water, ritual implements must also be paid.

दत्त्वा चौरस्य हन्तुर्वा जानतो दम उत्तमः । शस्त्रावपाते गर्भस्य पातने चोत्तमो दमः ।। २५८.

The highest penalty is to be given to a thief or a killer, if the act is known; the highest penalty also applies for causing a miscarriage by weapon or for causing an abortion.

उत्तमो वाऽधमो वापि पुरुषस्त्रीप्रमापणे । शिलां बद्‌ध्बा क्षिपेदप्सु नरघ्नीं विषदां स्त्रियं ।। २५८.

Whether a man is high or low, if he kills a man or a woman, he should tie a stone to her and cast the murderous or poisonous woman into the water.

विषाग्निदां निजगुरुनिजापत्यप्रमापणीं । विकर्णकरनासौष्ठीं कृत्वा गोभिः प्रमापयेत् ।। २५८.

A woman who gives poison or fire, who kills her own teacher or child, or who mutilates ears, nose, or lips, should be killed by cows (trampled to death).

क्षेत्रवेश्मवनग्रामविवीतखलदाहकाः । राजपत्न्यभिऽगामी च दग्धव्यास्तु कटाग्निना ।। २५८.

Those who set fire to fields, houses, forests, villages, threshing floors, or granaries, and one who approaches the king's wife, should be burned with a bundle of reeds.

पुमान् संग्रहणे ग्राह्यः केशाकेशिपरस्त्रियाः । स्वजातावुत्तमो दण्ड आनुलोम्ये तु मध्यमः ।। २५८.

A man caught with another's wife should be seized by the hair; if she is of the same caste, the highest fine is imposed; if the union is according to social order, the middle fine applies.

प्रातिलोम्ये बधः पुंसां नार्य्याः कर्णावकर्त्तनम् । नीवीस्तनप्रावरणनाभिकेशावमर्द्दनम् ।। २५८.

In a union against social order, the man is to be executed, and the woman's ears are to be cut off; her waistband, breast-covering, navel, and hair are to be crushed.

अदेशकालसम्भाषं सहावस्थानमेव च । स्त्री निषेधे शतं दद्याद् द्विशतन्तु दमं पुमान् ।। २५८.

For speaking at the wrong place or time, or for being together, a woman should pay a fine of one hundred (coins); a man should pay double the penalty.

प्रतिषेधे तयोर्दण्डो यथा संग्रहणे तथा । पशून् गच्छञ्छतं दाप्यो हीनां स्त्रीं गाश्च मध्यमम् ।। २५८.

If they persist despite prohibition, the punishment is as for being caught together; for going after cattle, a fine of one hundred (coins) is imposed; for a woman of lower status, the middle fine and cows.

अवरुद्धासु दासीषु भुजिष्यासु तथैव च । गम्यास्वपि पूमान्दाप्यः पञ्चाशत् पणिकन्दमम् ।। २५८.

For intercourse with detained female slaves, or with female servants, or with women of easy virtue, a man must pay a fine of fifty paṇas.

प्रसह्य दास्यबिगमे दण्डो दशपणः स्मृतः । कुबन्धेनाङ्क्य गमयेदन्त्याप्रव्रजितागमे ।। २५८.

For forcibly having intercourse with a female slave, the penalty is ten paṇas; for intercourse with a woman marked with a brand, or with an outcaste or a renunciant, he should be paraded (in disgrace).

न्यूनं वाप्यधिकं वापि लिखेद् यो राजशासनम् । कूटस्वर्णव्यवहारी विमांसस्य च विक्रयी ।। २५८.

Whoever writes the king's order as less or more than it is, or deals in counterfeit gold, or sells what has been pledged—

अभक्षैर्दूषयन् विप्रं दण्ड उत्तमसाहसम् । कूटस्वर्णव्यवहारी विमांसस्य च विक्रयी ।। २५८.

One who pollutes a Brahmin with forbidden food is liable to the highest fine; one who deals in counterfeit gold, or sells what has been pledged—