Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 17
Chapter 231 — शकुनानि (Śakunāni) | Omens in Governance, Travel, and War
मार्गावरोधको मार्गे चौरान् वदति भार्गव अलाभो ऽस्थिमुखः पापो रज्जुचीरमुखस् तथा
mārgāvarodhako mārge caurān vadati bhārgava alābho 'sthimukhaḥ pāpo rajjucīramukhas tathā
হে ভার্গব! যে পথে বাধা দেয় সে ‘মার্গাবরোধক’, আর যে পথে চোরদের কথা জানায় সে চোর-সংবাদদাতা। তদ্রূপ ‘অলাভ’, ‘অস্থিমুখ’, ‘পাপ’ এবং ‘রজ্জুচীরমুখ’ নামেও (অশুভ লক্ষণধারী) ব্যক্তির উল্লেখ আছে।
Lord Agni (narrating to Bhārgava)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Classify and identify public-order offenders on roads (obstruction, informing on thieves, and named categories) for governance and adjudication.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Mārga-doṣa offenders: mārga-āvarodhaka and other named wrongdoers","lookup_keywords":["marga avarodhaka","vyavahara","road offences","chora","rajadharma"],"quick_summary":"Defines categories of road-related offenders—those who block roads and those involved with thieves—along with named types used for legal/governmental recognition."}
Concept: Rāja-dharma safeguards movement, trade, and safety by naming and restraining specific harms.
Application: Administrators can map offences to penalties, patrol priorities, and witness procedures for highway safety.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Governance, Law, and Social Order)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal road where an offender blocks passage; another figure points out thieves; a scribe/official records named offender-types for judgment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, palace-road scene with a guard and a clerk, one man physically obstructing the road, another gesturing toward lurking thieves, stylized figures and bold outlines, dharma-themed border motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, seated magistrate with gold-embossed throne, road scene vignette showing obstruction and accusation, ornate jewelry and textiles, gold leaf emphasizing royal authority","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic court scene: labels for mārga-āvarodhaka and chora-informer, orderly composition, soft colors, emphasis on administrative clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling highway with travelers, an obstructer confronted by guards, an informer pointing to thieves behind shrubs, detailed costumes and architecture, courtly realism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"serious","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अलाभो ऽस्थिमुखः = अलाभः + अस्थिमुखः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 231 (Rājadharma/Vyavahāra adjacent material)
FAQs
It imparts practical governance knowledge (rājadharma/vyavahāra): identifying and classifying highway-related offenders—those who block roads, inform on or collude with thieves, and other named criminal types.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs administrative and legal categories, including criminal typologies relevant to policing, travel security, and public order—showing its wide coverage of statecraft and jurisprudence.
By labeling such acts as pāpa (sinful) and enumerating offender types, the text frames road obstruction and aiding robbery as morally blameworthy actions that generate negative karma and warrant social/legal restraint.