Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 21
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
जनस्याविहितान् सौम्यांस् तथाज्ञातान् परस्परं वणिजो मन्त्रकुशलान् सांवत्सरचिकित्सकान्
janasyāvihitān saumyāṃs tathājñātān parasparaṃ vaṇijo mantrakuśalān sāṃvatsaracikitsakān
O Sanftmütiger, (der König soll wachen über) jene, die vom Volk nicht ordnungsgemäß verbürgt sind, über einander Unbekannte, über Kaufleute, über in Zaubersprüchen/Mantras Kundige und über umherziehende Ärzte, die nach den Jahreszeiten (Jahreszyklus) behandeln.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Urban/professional oversight: monitor unvouched persons, disconnected groups, merchants, mantra-specialists, and itinerant/seasonal physicians as potential security risks or fraud vectors.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Persons Requiring Royal Watch in the City","lookup_keywords":["avihita-jana","vanij","mantra-kushala","samvatsara-chikitsaka","nagarika-nigraha"],"quick_summary":"A king should keep discreet watch over socially unverified persons and certain mobile professions (trade, spellcraft, itinerant medicine) because they can conceal espionage, deception, or public harm."}
Concept: Social trust (vouching/known networks) is a governance instrument; anonymity and itinerancy require verification for public welfare.
Application: Implement registration, guild oversight, and community attestation for mobile professions; balance freedom with safety.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Social Regulation (Nagarika/Professional Oversight)
Primary Rasa: Bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bustling city street: merchants with goods, a mantra-specialist with ritual items, an itinerant physician with medicine bag, and unknown strangers; royal officers discreetly observe and record identities.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized market street with traders and carts, a mantra-kushala holding rosary and yantra, a traveling physician with herbs, royal guards and spies watching from arches, earthy tones and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, market scene with gold accents on jewelry and trade goods, king’s emblem on officers’ staffs, itinerant physician presented with a permit scroll, mantra practitioner with ornate ritual tray, rich colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, instructional civic-regulation scene: officers checking registers, guild leader near merchants, physician showing credentials, clean composition and fine detailing, soft palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, lively bazaar with diverse figures, a hakim-like itinerant doctor, a spell specialist, discreet state agents noting observations, architectural city backdrop with perspective"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: janasyāvihitān = janasya + avihitān; tathājñātān = tathā + ajñātān.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma passages on nagara-raksha (city protection), vanij-dharma (merchant conduct), and mantra/tantra cautions
FAQs
It teaches a governance protocol: the ruler should monitor categories often associated with mobility or specialized knowledge—unaccredited strangers, traders, mantra-specialists, and itinerant/seasonal physicians—because they can affect public order.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves practical statecraft: identifying social categories for administrative scrutiny shows its coverage of law-and-order, commerce, and medical practice within one compendium.
By preventing deception, harm, and disorder, the king upholds dharma; maintaining social safety is treated as a righteous duty that supports collective well-being and the moral order.