Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 45
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
खन्याकरबलादानं शून्यानां च निवेशनं अष्टवर्गमिमं राजा साधुवृत्तो ऽनुपालयेत्
khanyākarabalādānaṃ śūnyānāṃ ca niveśanaṃ aṣṭavargamimaṃ rājā sādhuvṛtto 'nupālayet
Un rey justo debe administrar debidamente este conjunto óctuple de medidas: gravámenes de las minas, impuestos, la exigencia de servicio militar y el asentamiento (rehabilitación) de tierras vacías o abandonadas.
Lord Agni (teaching royal duties in the Agni Purana’s rajadharma section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Fiscal and developmental governance: manage revenue from mines, taxation, compulsory military service/levy, and resettlement of empty lands as part of an ‘eightfold’ administrative set to be upheld by a righteous king.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Eightfold royal measures: mines, taxes, military levy, settlement of vacant lands (partial list)","lookup_keywords":["khanī-ākara","bala-ādāna","kara","śūnya-niveśana","aṣṭa-varga"],"quick_summary":"A king’s administrative toolkit includes extracting resources (mines), collecting taxes, mobilizing defense manpower, and rehabilitating deserted lands. These measures are to be applied under ‘sādhuvṛtta’—ethical restraint and public purpose."}
Concept: Ethical statecraft: revenue and coercive powers are dharmic only when administered for protection, stability, and restoration (e.g., settling vacant lands).
Application: Policy analogue: regulate extractive industries, fair taxation, lawful conscription/service, and land-reform/resettlement programs with safeguards.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, taxation, public works, and royal duties)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Royal administrators oversee a mine, a tax office, a muster of soldiers, and settlers rebuilding homes on deserted land; the king supervises with a dharmic demeanor.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative strip: miners at an ākara, scribes collecting kara, soldiers assembling for bala-ādāna, families resettling śūnya-grāma, king blessing the work, stylized figures and earthy tones","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, central king enthroned, four surrounding scenes: mine, treasury/tax, army muster, village resettlement, ornate frame and jewel-like colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, administrative clarity: labeled vignettes ‘ākara’, ‘kara’, ‘bala-ādāna’, ‘śūnya-niveśana’, fine depiction of tools, ledgers, and village planning","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed economic landscape: mining hillside, bustling revenue office, soldiers in formation, new village construction, naturalistic shading and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शून्यानां च = शून्यानाम् + च; अष्टवर्गमिमं = अष्टवर्गम् + इमम्; साधुवृत्तो ऽनुपालयेत् = साधुवृत्तः + अनुपालयेत्
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma discussions on revenue, army, and land management (near 238–241)
FAQs
It outlines concrete tools of governance: collecting revenue from mines/mineral sources, administering taxation, organizing military levies, and resettling deserted or vacant lands to restore productivity.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves administrative science—fiscal policy, resource management (mines), and land-settlement—showing it functions as a compendium of practical governance (rajadharma) as well.
By framing revenue collection and land administration as duties of a “sādhuvṛtta” king, the text treats just governance and protection of social order as dharma, generating merit when performed without oppression and for public welfare.