Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 17
Yati-dharma
The Dharma of the Renunciate Ascetic
धृतिः क्षमा दमो ऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ह्रीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणं
dhṛtiḥ kṣamā damo 'steyaṃ śaucamindriyanigrahaḥ hrīrvidyā satyamakrodho daśakaṃ dharmalakṣaṇaṃ
الثبات، والحِلم، وضبط النفس، وترك السرقة، والطهارة، وكبح الحواس، والحياء، وڤيديا (المعرفة الحقّة)، والصدق، وترك الغضب—هذه العشرة هي السمات المميِّزة للدارما (السلوك القويم).
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Ethical self-audit: use the ten lakṣaṇas as a checklist for daily conduct, governance, teaching, and personal sādhana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Daśa-dharma-lakṣaṇa (Ten marks of Dharma)","lookup_keywords":["dharma-lakṣaṇa","dhṛti","kṣamā","dama","satya","akrodha"],"quick_summary":"Dharma is characterized by ten virtues—steadfastness, forgiveness, self-control, non-stealing, purity, sense-restraint, modesty, knowledge, truth, and non-anger—serving as a practical code of conduct."}
Concept: Dharma is recognizable through stable inner virtues rather than mere external markers.
Application: Adopt the ten as vows: monitor speech (satya, akrodha), actions (asteya, śauca), and mind (dhṛti, dama, indriya-nigraha, hṛī, vidyā).
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Sadachara (Ethics and Marks of Dharma)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-sage instructing disciples with a symbolic 'ten-petaled' wheel or garland, each petal representing one dharma-mark (steadfastness, forgiveness, etc.).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru under a banyan teaching brahmacārins, behind them a stylized lotus with ten petals as virtue symbols, warm earthy palette, calm śānta ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated rishi with disciples, gold-leaf ten-petaled lotus halo containing small icon-symbols (water pot for śauca, closed fist for dhṛti, etc.), ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic composition: ten small medallions around the guru, each with a simple emblem for the virtue, fine linework and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, madrasa-like teaching scene in an Indian garden, sage pointing to a circular chart of ten virtues, detailed textiles and manuscripts"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दमो ऽस्तेयं → दमः + अस्तेयम्; शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः → शौचम् + इन्द्रिय-निग्रहः; ह्रीर्विद्या → ह्रीः + विद्या; सत्यमक्रोधो → सत्यम् + अक्रोधः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 161 (Sadācāra section)
FAQs
It gives a practical ethical checklist—ten core virtues (e.g., purity, sense-restraint, truthfulness) used to assess and cultivate dharma in daily conduct.
Alongside rituals, iconography, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also codifies dharma through concise virtue-lists—showing its wide scope from practice (ācāra) to knowledge (vidyā).
These virtues purify intention and action, reducing harmful karmic impulses (anger, theft, falsehood) and establishing conduct aligned with dharma, which supports merit (puṇya) and inner clarity.