Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 21
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
नश्येदविनयाद्राजा राज्यञ्च विनयाल्लभेत् त्रैविद्येभ्यस्त्रयीं विद्यां दण्डनीतिञ्च शाश्वतीं
naśyedavinayādrājā rājyañca vinayāllabhet traividyebhyastrayīṃ vidyāṃ daṇḍanītiñca śāśvatīṃ
A king perishes through lack of discipline; and through discipline he attains sovereignty. From the masters of the three Vedas he should learn the threefold Vedic knowledge, and also the perennial daṇḍanīti, the science of governance through punishment.
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Leadership discipline (vinaya) as the basis of stable rule; formal education in Vedic learning and daṇḍanīti (penal governance) for kings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Vinaya and Daṇḍanīti as perennial royal science","lookup_keywords":["vinaya","daṇḍanīti","trai-vidya","rāja-śikṣā","discipline"],"quick_summary":"A king falls through indiscipline and gains sovereignty through discipline; he should learn Vedic knowledge from Vedic masters and the enduring science of punishment/governance (daṇḍanīti)."}
Concept: Vinaya (self-discipline) as royal dharma; daṇḍa as a righteous instrument when grounded in learning and restraint.
Application: Establish personal conduct codes for rulers; institutionalize education under learned teachers; create proportional punishment guidelines and review mechanisms.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance and Statecraft)
Primary Rasa: Veera
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined king studies with Vedic teachers (trai-vidya) and separately receives instruction in daṇḍanīti with symbols of law—staff (daṇḍa), scales, and court records.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel narrative: king seated before three Vedic teachers with palm-leaf manuscripts; second panel shows king holding a staff of justice, court scribes and guards, strong symmetrical composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with golden aura receiving blessings from Vedic gurus, ornate daṇḍa and dharma-scale rendered in gold leaf, temple-like arch framing the scene","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: labeled elements—‘trai-vidya’ manuscripts, ‘daṇḍa’ staff, court register—king in attentive posture, fine detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, madrasa-like court school setting with scholars, then a justice hall with the king presiding, meticulous textiles and manuscripts, restrained palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Raga Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नश्येदविनयाद्राजा = नश्येत् + अविनयात् + राजा; राज्यञ्च = राज्यम् + च; विनयाल्लभेत् = विनयात् + लभेत्; त्रैविद्येभ्यस्त्रयीं = त्रैविद्येभ्यः + त्रयीम्; दण्डनीतिञ्च = दण्ड-नीतिम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 224 (Dandaniti/Rajadharma)
FAQs
It prescribes two core competencies for rulers: (1) trayī-vidyā—Vedic learning under traividya (Veda-knowers), and (2) daṇḍanīti—the technical science of law, punishment, and governance used to maintain order.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana systematically includes practical disciplines like political theory and jurisprudence; this verse explicitly links Vedic education with administrative science (daṇḍanīti), showing the text’s broad, encyclopedic scope.
Vinaya (self-discipline) is presented as a dharmic safeguard: it preserves the king and the realm, while daṇḍanīti—rightly learned and applied—supports social order (dharma), reducing adharma and its karmic consequences.