Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 12
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
धर्मिष्ठान् धर्मकायेषु शूरान् सङ्ग्रामकर्मसु निपुणानर्थकृत्येषु सर्वत्र च तथा शुचीन्
dharmiṣṭhān dharmakāyeṣu śūrān saṅgrāmakarmasu nipuṇānarthakṛtyeṣu sarvatra ca tathā śucīn
He should appoint those most devoted to dharma for matters of law and justice; the brave for the duties of war; the skilled for tasks connected with wealth and administration; and, in every sphere, likewise those who are pure and incorrupt.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Departmental staffing policy: appoint dharmic persons to justice, brave to war, skilled to finance/administration, and ensure purity/incorruptibility across all offices.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Guṇa-based appointment: dharma, valor, skill, purity","lookup_keywords":["dharmiṣṭha","saṅgrāma","artha-kṛtya","śuci","appointment criteria"],"quick_summary":"Match office to virtue: the most dharmic handle justice, the brave handle war, the skilled handle wealth and administration, and all posts require integrity and cleanliness of conduct."}
Weapon Type: General martial duty (saṅgrāma-karman)
Concept: Svadharma in governance: alignment of guṇa/skill with duty; śauca (purity) as universal qualification against corruption.
Application: Create competency-and-integrity matrices for public offices; separate judiciary, military, and finance with clear qualification standards and anti-corruption norms.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Qualifications of ministers and royal officers)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic court-administration tableau: a justice hall with dharmic judges, a battlefield camp with brave commanders, a treasury office with skilled accountants, and a unifying motif of purity (clean hands, clear water, white cloth).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, triptych-like composition: dharma court, war camp, treasury office; figures with distinct attributes (scales/scrolls, weapons, ledgers), recurring purity symbols (water pot, white cloth), bold traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, segmented panels with gold leaf: judge with dharma insignia, warrior with standard, treasurer with coin chest; ornate borders and auspicious symmetry emphasizing śuci","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional multi-scene layout showing departments and ideal officers, fine linework, soft colors, clear iconographic cues for justice/war/finance","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed administrative scenes: qazi-like judge analog, commander reviewing troops, accountant at treasury desk; realistic interiors and careful hierarchy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Dhanyasi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सङ्ग्रामकर्मसु = सङ्ग्राम + कर्मसु; अर्थकृत्येषु = अर्थ + कृत्येषु.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma: duties of ministers, judges, and commanders; Agni Purana Nīti: śauca and dāna as royal virtues
FAQs
It imparts rāja-nīti (statecraft): assigning officials by competency—righteous persons for judicial/dharma work, brave persons for military duties, experts for financial administration—while insisting on personal purity (integrity) across all roles.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also compiles practical governance doctrine (rajadharma), including staffing principles for courts, armies, and treasuries—showing its broad, encyclopedic coverage of public administration.
By placing dharmic and pure individuals in authority, a ruler reduces adharma (injustice and corruption), protects subjects, and accrues merit through righteous governance aligned with dharma.