Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 14
Ṣāḍguṇya — The Six Measures of Foreign Policy
with Rāja-maṇḍala Theory
एर्तैः सन्धिं न कुर्वीत विगृह्णीयात्तु केबलं परस्परापकारेण पुंसां भवति विग्रहः
ertaiḥ sandhiṃ na kurvīta vigṛhṇīyāttu kebalaṃ parasparāpakāreṇa puṃsāṃ bhavati vigrahaḥ
Mit solchen Menschen soll man keinen Bund (sandhi) schließen; vielmehr soll man ausschließlich eine Haltung der Feindschaft (vigraha) einnehmen. Denn unter den Menschen entsteht Streit aus gegenseitiger Schädigung und wechselseitigem Unrecht.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Diplomatic screening: avoid treaties with consistently harmful actors; adopt deterrence/containment when reciprocity is absent.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Asandhi with Apakarin (No-alliance with injurers)","lookup_keywords":["sandhi","vigraha","apakara","diplomacy","enemy-policy"],"quick_summary":"Do not conclude alliances with parties whose conduct is rooted in mutual harm; such relations naturally generate conflict. Use a posture of vigraha (hostility/pressure) instead of sandhi (treaty)."}
Concept: Reciprocity and non-maleficence as prerequisites for alliance; harm begets conflict.
Application: In governance and personal dealings, avoid binding agreements with those who repeatedly violate trust; prefer protective distance and measured opposition.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Diplomacy and Statecraft: Sandhi–Vigraha and inter-polity conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in council rejects a treaty scroll offered by a deceitful envoy; ministers advise adopting vigraha, with symbols of guarded borders and watchtowers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, royal court scene, stylized king with ministers, an envoy holding a palm-leaf treaty, king gestures refusal, warm earthy palette, ornate jewelry, flat perspective, decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated king on throne with gold-leaf halo-like arch, ministers at sides, envoy presenting treaty scroll, king’s hand raised in refusal, rich reds and greens, heavy gold work, embossed ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, detailed court interior, subtle shading, king consulting a niti text, envoy and guards, emphasis on gesture of rejecting alliance, delicate linework and muted colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate durbar, fine textiles, envoy with document, king and wazir conferring, architectural backdrop with jali screens, precise detailing, restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विगृह्णीयात्तु = विगृह्णीयात् + तु; परस्परापकारेण = परस्पर + अपकारेण; (एर्तैः पाठे सम्भाव्यः ‘एतैः’).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 239 (Rajadharma: sandhi–vigraha); Agni Purana sections on dandaniti and niti-lakshana
FAQs
It teaches diplomatic statecraft (nīti): avoid treaties with unreliable or harmful parties and recognize that hostility typically grows from reciprocal harm.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied knowledge like rājadharma—practical guidance on alliance-making, conflict management, and political conduct.
It warns that mutual harm (apakāra) breeds further enmity, implying that reducing wrongdoing and injury is both ethically stabilizing and karmically prudent.