Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 23
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
रागापरागौ भृत्यानां जनस्य च गुणागुणान् शुभानामशुभानाञ्च ज्ञानङ्कुर्याद्वशाय च
rāgāparāgau bhṛtyānāṃ janasya ca guṇāguṇān śubhānāmaśubhānāñca jñānaṅkuryādvaśāya ca
Um sie unter Kontrolle zu bringen, soll er die Neigungen und Abneigungen seiner Diener und des Volkes ermitteln und ihre Vorzüge und Fehler unterscheiden—was glückverheißend und was unheilvoll ist.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Governance analytics: map loyalties, dislikes, virtues, and vices among servants and populace to manage incentives, discipline, and stability.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Assessment of Attachments, Aversions, and Merit-Fault for Control","lookup_keywords":["raga-aparaga","guna-aguna","shubha-ashubha","bhritiya","jana"],"quick_summary":"Effective rule requires knowing what people love/hate and their strengths/weaknesses; this enables calibrated rewards, restraints, and prevention of unrest."}
Concept: Raga-dvesha (attachment/aversion) and guna-dosha (merit/fault) assessment as a practical epistemology for governance.
Application: Build profiles for officials and communities; align policy with motivations; correct faults through training, incentives, and proportionate punishment.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, statecraft, espionage, and court administration)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Veera
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king reviews reports categorizing people by attachments and aversions; ministers present dossiers; scales or tally marks symbolize weighing virtues and faults; rewards and punishments are shown as balanced instruments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king with ministers holding palm-leaf reports, symbolic balance scale showing guna/aguna, groups of citizens depicted with different expressions (loyal, resentful), guards and treasurer indicating danda and dana, earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, king with gold-embellished ledger, ministers presenting scrolls, symbolic scale with gold highlights, citizens in two groups (shubha/ashubha), ornate court setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, analytical administrative scene: charts/tally marks on palm leaves, ministers pointing to categories raga/aparaga, calm instructional composition, fine linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court clerks presenting detailed registers, king conferring with wazir-like minister, allegorical scale of justice, citizens awaiting decisions, intricate textiles and architectural depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: rāgāparāgau = rāga + aparāgau (dvandva); guṇāguṇān = guṇa + aguṇān; śubhānāmaśubhānāñca = śubhānām + aśubhānām + ca; jñānaṅkuryādvaśāya = jñānam + kuryāt + vaśāya.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on danda-niti (punishment policy), amatyas’ testing, and public order measures
FAQs
It imparts practical rājadharma/daṇḍanīti: a ruler should profile servants and subjects by knowing their likes, dislikes, virtues, and vices to manage and govern effectively.
Beyond theology and ritual, it preserves political-administrative doctrine—methods of personnel assessment and social management—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s wide coverage of governance alongside religious instruction.
Right discernment of people’s qualities supports just rule; in rājadharma, such informed governance helps prevent harm and disorder, aligning the king’s actions with dharma and reducing sinful outcomes from misrule.