Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 16
Chapter 225 — राजधर्माः
The Duties of Kings): Daiva and Pौरुष (Effort), Upāyas of Statecraft, and Daṇḍa (Punitive Authority
यस्माददान्तान् दमयत्यदण्ड्यान्दण्डयत्यपि दमनाद्दण्डनाच्चैव तस्माद्दण्ड विदुर्बुधाः
yasmādadāntān damayatyadaṇḍyāndaṇḍayatyapi damanāddaṇḍanāccaiva tasmāddaṇḍa vidurbudhāḥ
Weil es die Ungezähmten zügelt und sogar jene bestraft, die nicht zu bestrafen wären, und weil es sowohl diszipliniert als auch züchtigt, erkennen die Weisen es daher als daṇḍa.
Lord Agni (teaching Rajadharma/Daṇḍanīti)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Understanding daṇḍa as both discipline (preventive restraint) and punishment (corrective chastisement); informs policy that combines deterrence with reform.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Etymological-explanatory sense of daṇḍa: restraining and punishing","lookup_keywords":["daṇḍa","damana","daṇḍana","nīti","etymology"],"quick_summary":"Daṇḍa is explained through its functions: it restrains the unrestrained and punishes; thus it is recognized as the operative principle of governance and correction."}
Alamkara Type: Nirvacana (etymological gloss)
Concept: Governance terms are understood by their operative effects; authority is justified as a corrective instrument.
Application: Blend preventive regulation (damana) with proportionate penalties (daṇḍana); build institutions for both supervision and adjudication.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Danda-niti / Governance and Punishment)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two-part allegory: on one side a teacher/king restrains a disorderly group (discipline), on the other a judge imposes a measured penalty (punishment), both under the emblem ‘daṇḍa’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split-panel composition: left—king’s guards calmly restraining unruly men; right—court scene with measured punishment; central daṇḍa motif; bold outlines and traditional ornament","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central daṇḍa with gold embossing; left vignette of discipline (training/curbing); right vignette of sentencing; rich textiles, temple arch, luminous highlights","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic two-scene layout with captions ‘damana’ and ‘daṇḍana’, clean linework, soft washes, emphasis on procedure and proportionality","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, two registers: policing/discipline in bazaar and adjudication in court; fine facial expressions, detailed architecture, manuscript border"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yasmādadāntān = yasmāt adāntān; damayatyadaṇḍyān = damayati adaṇḍyān; daṇḍayatyapi = daṇḍayati api; damanāddaṇḍanāccaiva = damanāt daṇḍanāt ca eva; tasmāddaṇḍa = tasmāt daṇḍam (final -m often elided in recitation); vidurbudhāḥ = viduḥ budhāḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 225 (definitions and functions of daṇḍa)
FAQs
It imparts daṇḍanīti (the science of punishment/governance): daṇḍa is defined functionally as the king’s coercive power that disciplines the undisciplined and administers chastisement to maintain order.
By giving a compact, technical definition of daṇḍa within Rajadharma, it shows the Agni Purana’s coverage beyond myth—into political theory, legal reasoning, and statecraft vocabulary used in classical Indian governance.
It frames punishment as a dharmic instrument for social restraint and moral correction; when applied rightly it supports order (dharma), while misuse (punishing the not-to-be-punished) is implicitly warned against as a source of adharma and karmic fault.