Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 7
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
धनहीनस्य भार्यापि नैका स्यादुपवर्तिनी राष्ट्रपीडाकरो राजा नरके वसते चिरं
dhanahīnasya bhāryāpi naikā syādupavartinī rāṣṭrapīḍākaro rājā narake vasate ciraṃ
Dem Vermögenslosen ist selbst die Ehefrau nicht immer eine einmütige, treue Gefährtin; und ein König, der das Reich bedrückt, weilt lange in der Hölle.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Governance ethics: avoid oppression (rajya-pida) through just taxation and protection; household lesson: economic insecurity strains fidelity and domestic stability—support livelihoods to protect family order.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Effects of Poverty on Household and Oppression on Kingship","lookup_keywords":["rajya-pida","naraka","daridra","bharya","raja-dharma"],"quick_summary":"Poverty destabilizes household loyalty, while a king who harms the realm incurs severe post-mortem punishment; the ruler’s primary dharma is non-oppressive protection."}
Alamkara Type: Niti-vakya with implied hetu-phala (cause-effect)
Concept: Raja is bound by protective dharma; oppression is adharma with grave karmic consequence. Artha is a stabilizer of grihastha-dharma.
Application: Adopt fair revenue policy, prevent exploitation by officials, ensure famine relief and employment; in household ethics, secure basic needs to reduce social breakdown.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Governance and Ethics)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Split scene: a poor household with tension between spouses; and a tyrannical king extracting harsh taxes, with a symbolic vision of naraka awaiting him.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-register narrative: upper register shows oppressive king with soldiers seizing grain; lower register shows distressed household; side vignette of fiery naraka as moral consequence, bold outlines and flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central dharma scale motif in gold; left panel: impoverished couple in dim interior; right panel: king on throne with tax collectors; small gold-highlighted naraka flames below as warning.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic court scene with minister presenting a 'fair tax' scroll contrasted with a cruel collector; separate domestic vignette; delicate shading, clear storytelling.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed revenue-collection scene in a village with distressed peasants; inset of a troubled domestic interior; marginal depiction of hellfire as allegorical element."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भार्या+अपि→भार्यापि; न+एका→नैका; स्यात्+उपवर्तिनी→स्यादुपवर्तिनी
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on danda (punishment) and protection of subjects; Agni Purana teachings on naraka results of adharma
FAQs
This verse imparts Rajadharma/Nīti-vidyā: practical political ethics—warning that oppression of subjects is a grave adharma leading to severe karmic consequences.
It shows the Agni Purana’s coverage beyond ritual into statecraft and social ethics—linking household realities (wealth and marital stability) with governance (the king’s duty to protect, not exploit).
It asserts a karmic doctrine of rulership: a ruler who harms the realm accrues heavy demerit and is destined for prolonged suffering in naraka, emphasizing accountability as a spiritual law.