Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 3
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
ग्रामे दोषान् समुत्पन्नान् ग्रामेशः प्रसमं नयेत् अशक्तो दशपालस्य स तु गत्वा निवेदयेत्
grāme doṣān samutpannān grāmeśaḥ prasamaṃ nayet aśakto daśapālasya sa tu gatvā nivedayet
إذا نشأت في القرية مخالفات أو اضطرابات، فعلى رئيس القرية أن يسعى إلى تسويتها. فإن عجز، فليذهب ويبلّغ الأمر إلى الداشابالا (المسؤول عن عشر قرى).
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Establish a dispute/offence escalation ladder: village head resolves local faults; if incapable, reports upward to the ten-village officer; ensures timely justice and administrative clarity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Grāma-doṣa Praśamana and Reporting to Daśapāla","lookup_keywords":["grāme doṣāḥ","grāmeśa","praśamana","daśapāla","nivedana"],"quick_summary":"Local disorders should be settled at the lowest competent level; unresolved matters must be escalated to the next authority. This prevents both neglect and over-centralization."}
Concept: Justice is a graded responsibility: each level must act within competence and seek higher aid when necessary; dharma is preserved by timely resolution and truthful reporting.
Application: Create clear thresholds for what the village head can adjudicate; mandate written reports for escalations; set response times to prevent delay-based injustice.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Law, and Administration)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Raudra
Type: Village/District
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village head mediates a dispute among villagers; in a second moment, he approaches the daśapāla with a respectful report when the case exceeds his power.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, village assembly under a tree, grāmeśa seated with elders, disputants standing; adjacent vignette of grāmeśa walking to a small administrative outpost to meet daśapāla","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, village justice scene with gold accents on the headman’s seat and insignia; second panel shows formal reporting to a higher officer, rich ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear procedural narrative: mediation circle, then reporting with palm-leaf document, emphasis on civic order and roles","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, rural setting with detailed costumes and landscape; headman hearing parties, then presenting a written petition to the daśapāla in a modest office"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: grāmeśaḥ → grāma-īśaḥ; (no major other sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Adhyāya 222 (hierarchy of officers and their functions)
FAQs
It imparts administrative procedure (rāja-dharma): village-level dispute/offence resolution by the grāmeśa, with escalation to the daśapāla when local capacity is insufficient.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also codifies practical statecraft—here, a tiered rural governance structure and reporting protocol, aligning it with dharmaśāstra-style civil administration.
By ensuring timely pacification of disputes and proper reporting, a ruler’s agents uphold dharma and social order; maintaining dharma is treated as a merit-bearing duty that prevents communal harm and adharma from spreading.