Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 30
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
म्रियन्नपि न चादद्याद् ब्राह्मणेभ्यस् तथा करं यस्य राज्ञस्तु विषये श्रोत्रियः सीदति क्षुधा
mriyannapi na cādadyād brāhmaṇebhyas tathā karaṃ yasya rājñastu viṣaye śrotriyaḥ sīdati kṣudhā
Selbst wenn er im Sterben läge, soll er von Brahmanen keine solche Abgabe erheben—eine Abgabe, unter deren königlichem Herrschaftsbereich ein vedisch gelehrter Brahmane (śrotriya) vor Hunger dahinsiecht.
Lord Agni (in instruction on rajadharma)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Tax policy and royal ethics: exempt or reduce burdens on śrotriya Brahmanas; ensure learned Vedic teachers are not impoverished under state revenue measures.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Brahmana-tax restraint (śrotriya-kara-niṣedha)","lookup_keywords":["rajadharma","kara","śrotriya","brāhmaṇa","anupīḍana"],"quick_summary":"A king must not levy oppressive tax from Brahmanas, especially when a śrotriya is driven to hunger; fiscal policy must protect the sustenance of Vedic learning."}
Concept: Rājadharma prioritizes protection of dharma-bearers (śrotriya) over revenue extraction.
Application: Create exemptions, stipends, or grain-allowances for Vedic teachers; audit tax collectors to prevent coercion.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Taxation, Protection of Brahmanas)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king halts tax collection as a hungry śrotriya Brahmana stands with minimal belongings; officials withdraw, and a granary or royal storehouse is shown as the alternative support.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, a compassionate king in royal attire stopping tax collectors before a thin śrotriya Brahmana, palace courtyard, stylized granary, traditional ornamentation, clear narrative composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on the king’s crown and throne, the king gesturing ‘do not take tax’, a śrotriya Brahmana with palm-leaf manuscripts, rich textile patterns, temple-like arch framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, instructional tableau of ‘tax restraint’, labeled figures (king, collector, śrotriya), subdued palette with fine detailing, palace administrative setting","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene, tax officials presenting ledgers, the king refusing levy, a hungry Brahmana with manuscripts, architectural depth, fine foliage border"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mriyann api → mriyan + api; ca ādadyāt → ca + ādadyāt; brāhmaṇebhyas tathā → brāhmaṇebhyaḥ + tathā; rājñas tu → rājñaḥ + tu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma section on taxation and protection of Brahmanas (adjacent verses 222.31-34)
FAQs
It gives a rule of rajadharma on revenue: a king must not levy tax from Brahmanas in a way that causes (or even coexists with) the starvation of śrotriyas in his realm.
Beyond rituals and theology, it codifies practical statecraft—how taxation must be constrained by welfare and dharmic responsibility toward learned Vedic custodians.
It frames oppressive or neglectful taxation as adharma: a king gains merit by sustaining the learned and incurs demerit if Vedic scholars suffer hunger under his rule.