Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 25
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
रम्या सकुञ्जरबला वारिस्थलपथान्विता अदेवमातृका चेति शस्यते भूरिभूतये
ramyā sakuñjarabalā vāristhalapathānvitā adevamātṛkā ceti śasyate bhūribhūtaye
A site is praised for abundant prosperity when it is delightful, has strength like that of elephants, is provided with water, firm ground, and roads, and is not afflicted by harmful mother-goddess spirits.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Site-selection for towns/settlements: choose pleasant land with firm ground, reliable water, good roads, and freedom from harmful local spirit-afflictions (adevamatṛkā).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nagara-nivesha Bhumi-pariksha (Auspicious Site Criteria)","lookup_keywords":["ramya-bhumi","kunjara-bala","vari","sthala","adevamatṛka"],"quick_summary":"Prosperity comes from selecting a delightful, strong, well-watered site with firm terrain and roads, and ensuring it is not troubled by malevolent matṛkā-type influences."}
Concept: Right place (desha) supports right life (dharma/artha); subtle disturbances must be addressed alongside engineering needs.
Application: In modern terms: prioritize geotechnical stability, water security, transport connectivity, and community safety; in traditional terms, also perform site-purification/appeasement if ominous signs appear.
Khanda Section: Vastu-shastra / Nagara-nivesha (Town planning and auspicious land characteristics)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Settlement-site
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Surveyors and planners assessing a town site: testing soil firmness, mapping roads, checking wells/ponds; a priest performing a protective rite to avert matṛkā affliction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, planners with measuring cords near a water body, elephant symbol for strength, priest with lamp and kalasha for shanti, stylized trees and laterite ground.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central auspicious site with gold-highlighted roads and water, elephant motif, priestly shanti elements (kalasha, yantra), ornate border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, technical scene: grid layout sketch, survey tools, soil sample bowl, road lines, calm palette and precise detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, engineers and clerics in a landscaped plain, detailed instruments, a small ritual circle, architectural plan scrolls, refined naturalism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi: sakuñjarabalā→sa-kuñjara-balā; vāristhalapathānvitā→vāri-sthala-patha-anvitā; ceti→ca iti; bhūribhūtaye→bhūri-bhūtaye.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vastu/Nagara-nivesha chapters on bhumi-lakshana and dosha-shanti (contextual)
FAQs
It gives Vāstu-site selection criteria: choose land that is pleasant, structurally strong (metaphorically “elephant-strong”), has reliable water, firm terrain and access paths, and is free from inauspicious spirit-afflictions (adevāmātṛkā) to ensure prosperity.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical civil-planning and Vāstu principles—how to evaluate land for habitations—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of applied sciences like architecture, settlement design, and auspicious diagnostics.
Selecting an auspicious, uncontaminated site is presented as dharmically supportive: it prevents inauspicious influences and supports collective well-being, stability, and “bhūri-bhūti” (abundant prosperity) for residents.