Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 7
Chapter 16 — बुद्धाद्यवतारकथनम्
Narration of Buddha and Other Incarnations
धर्मकञ्चुकसंवीता अधर्मरुचयस् तथा मानुषान् भक्षयिष्यन्ति म्लेच्छाः पार्थिवरूपिणः
dharmakañcukasaṃvītā adharmarucayas tathā mānuṣān bhakṣayiṣyanti mlecchāḥ pārthivarūpiṇaḥ
ধৰ্মৰ আৱৰণ পিন্ধি অথচ অধৰ্মত আসক্ত—ৰাজৰূপ ধাৰণ কৰা ম্লেচ্ছসকলে—মানুহক ‘ভক্ষণ’ কৰিব, অৰ্থাৎ দমন কৰি নিঃশেষ কৰিব।
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Governance ethics: identify ‘dharma-cloaked’ predation—tyranny, propaganda, and exploitation—so communities can demand accountability and protect subjects.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pārthiva-rūpi Mleccha: Adharma under Dharma Cloak","lookup_keywords":["mleccha","pārthiva-rūpin","dharma-kāñcuka","oppression","rajadharma"],"quick_summary":"The verse warns of rulers who wear the appearance of dharma while delighting in adharma, ‘devouring’ people through oppression. It functions as a diagnostic of illegitimate power."}
Alamkara Type: Rupaka
Concept: Dharma-ābhāsa (mere appearance of righteousness) enables systemic adharma; true rajadharma is measured by protection, not costume.
Application: Evaluate leaders by outcomes: protection of prajā, fair taxation, justice, and restraint; resist normalization of cruelty justified as ‘dharma’.
Khanda Section: Bhaviṣya-kathana (Prophetic/Portent Section)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"False kings in royal dress with a ‘cloak of dharma’ (religious symbols) oppress citizens—tax collectors, prisons, and suffering people—showing predation disguised as righteousness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic narrative: a crowned ruler with sacred marks and dharma-banner, yet shadowy attendants seize commoners, intense expressions, temple-mural palette, moral allegory","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central faux-righteous king with gold ornaments and a dharma-scroll, below him suffering subjects, gold leaf highlighting the deceptive ‘cloak’, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic split-scene: ‘dharma-kāñcuka’ ruler on one side, true rajadharma protector on the other, labeled elements, soft colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with a ruler receiving petitions while guards drag people away behind a screen, intricate textiles, architectural depth, subtle satire"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्मकञ्चुकसंवीता = धर्म-कञ्चुक-संवीताः; अधर्मरुचयस् = अधर्मरुचयः (विसर्ग-सन्धि/छन्दसि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma and danda-niti discussions (elsewhere in the text); Agni Purana: Kali-yuga lakshana passages (adjacent)
FAQs
It conveys rajadharma-oriented discernment: recognizing adharma when it is masked by outward signs of dharma, a practical warning for governance and social ethics rather than a ritual procedure.
Alongside ritual, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves political-ethical diagnostics—Kali-yuga portents describing how power can mimic religion—thereby covering societal governance and moral decline as a knowledge domain.
The verse warns that outward religiosity without inner dharma leads to collective harm; spiritually, it urges vigilance, truthful conduct, and refusal to support hypocritical power, which protects one’s karma from complicity in adharma.