Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 33
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
प्रवासायासदुःखेषु युद्धेषु च कृतश्रमः अद्वैधक्षत्रियप्रायो दण्डो दण्डवतां मतः
pravāsāyāsaduḥkheṣu yuddheṣu ca kṛtaśramaḥ advaidhakṣatriyaprāyo daṇḍo daṇḍavatāṃ mataḥ
في الشدائد الناشئة عن السفر، وبذل الجهد، والألم—وكذلك في الحروب—يُعَدُّ العقابُ (daṇḍa) عند أهل العلم بسياسة العقوبة أنه ما يُخضِعُ المُعاقَبَ لمشقّةٍ قد ذاقها. ويُفرَضُ في الغالب على الكشترية (kṣatriya)، على وجهٍ مستقيمٍ بلا ازدواج ولا محاباة.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for administering punishment and discipline in contexts of travel hardship and warfare; emphasizes straightforward, non-duplicity in danda-niti.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Danda in hardship and war: impartial, straightforward punishment chiefly for kshatriya duty","lookup_keywords":["danda-niti","kshatriya-dharma","yuddha-shrama","advaidha","punishment-principle"],"quick_summary":"Frames punishment as a disciplined, toil-bearing duty in harsh conditions, to be applied straightforwardly and impartially, aligned with kṣatriya responsibility."}
Concept: Danda as dharmic governance: punishment must be straightforward and aligned with role-duty, especially of the kshatriya.
Application: In administration and military command, apply penalties transparently and consistently, especially where public order is strained by travel and war.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance, Law, and Punishment)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A campaign setting where officials administer discipline among weary troops after travel and battle, emphasizing impartial judgment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, a royal judge/commander seated under a canopy in a military camp, weary soldiers returning from march, orderly attendants, visual emphasis on stern yet fair demeanor","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, king/commander with gold-worked throne and parasol, symbolic danda (staff of authority), disciplined soldiers in rows, solemn palette with ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional court-martial scene: scribe, witnesses, commander holding staff, clear gestures indicating impartial decision-making, minimal background clutter","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed camp court scene with tents, soldiers in varied uniforms, commander adjudicating, subtle expressions showing fatigue and seriousness"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pravāsāyāsaduḥkheṣu parsed as dvandva compound in locative plural; no external sandhi beyond standard compounding.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma/Dandaniti discussions on punishment gradations and kingly duty
FAQs
It conveys dandanīti (the science of punishment): in contexts like wartime and severe hardship, punishment/discipline should be applied straightforwardly (without duplicity) and is framed as chiefly a kṣatriya/royal concern.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also teaches practical statecraft—here, legal-political doctrine on punishment, discipline, and conduct during war and hardship—showing its coverage of governance as a technical subject.
By insisting on non-duplicitous, impartial discipline, it aligns royal action with dharma; just governance reduces adharma and its karmic consequences for ruler and realm.