Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 31
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
नाविज्ञातां स्त्रियं गच्छेन्नाज्ञातां नावमारुद्वेत् राष्ट्रकर्षी भ्रस्यते च राज्यार्थाच्चैव जीवितात्
nāvijñātāṃ striyaṃ gacchennājñātāṃ nāvamārudvet rāṣṭrakarṣī bhrasyate ca rājyārthāccaiva jīvitāt
One should not approach an unknown woman, nor board an unknown boat. For one who drains and exploits the kingdom falls away—losing the very purpose of sovereignty and even life itself.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purāṇa’s rājadharma/nīti discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Risk-avoidance and ethical governance: avoid unknown sexual/transport risks; do not over-extract revenue—predatory rule destroys state and ruler.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Nīti: Avoid unknown woman/boat; condemnation of kingdom-draining exploitation","lookup_keywords":["strī-asaṃparka","anājñāta-nau","rāṣṭra-karṣaṇa","ati-kara","rāja-vināśa"],"quick_summary":"Personal recklessness and fiscal predation both lead to ruin: avoid unknown entanglements and do not drain the kingdom, or sovereignty and life are lost."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (light) / Upadeśa tone
Concept: A ruler’s self-restraint and non-exploitative revenue policy sustain life and kingship; adharma (predation) rebounds as destruction.
Application: Adopt sustainable taxation, protect productive classes, and enforce personal codes of conduct to preserve authority and safety.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Nīti-śāstra (Governance, Ethics, and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moralizing scene: a cautious man refuses an unknown boat at a riverbank and avoids an unknown woman; in parallel, a greedy king draining peasants is shown falling from power—illustrating consequences.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split-panel narrative—left, riverbank with boatman and traveler refusing; right, oppressive tax collection and the king’s downfall; bold outlines, symbolic gestures, temple mural framing.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: river crossing scene with gold-highlighted water patterns; separate vignette of king with tax bags and distressed subjects; embossed gold to emphasize moral contrast.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: clear didactic composition with captions implied—‘unknown boat’ and ‘over-extraction’; soft palette, precise figures, emphasis on ethical lesson.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed riverside with boat, reeds, and attendants; courtly scene of revenue extraction; nuanced expressions showing caution vs. greed and its fallout."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+अविज्ञाताम्→नाविज्ञाताम् (न + अ → ना); गच्छेत्+न→गच्छेन् (त् + न → न्न); न+अज्ञाताम्→नाज्ञाताम्; नावम्+आरुद्वेत्→नावमारुद्वेत्; राज्यार्थात्+च+एव→राज्यार्थाच्चैव (त् + च → च्च; च+एव→चैव).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma on taxation, protection of subjects, and king’s personal discipline
FAQs
It imparts nīti (practical statecraft/ethics): avoid high-risk, unverified associations (unknown partners) and unsafe, unverified means of travel (unknown boat), and it warns rulers against over-extracting resources from the realm.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles pragmatic guidance for social order and governance; this verse is a compact rājadharma maxim combining personal safety, public responsibility, and fiscal restraint.
Ethically, reckless conduct and exploitation of subjects create adharma; the verse frames such behavior as leading to downfall—loss of legitimate kingship’s purpose and ultimately one’s life—implying negative karmic consequence and social ruin.