Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 1
Chapter 233 — Ṣāḍguṇya (The Six Measures of Royal Policy) and Foreign Daṇḍa
इत्य् आग्नेये महाओपुराणे यात्रामण्डलचिन्तादिर्नाम द्वात्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः अथ त्रयस्त्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः षाड्गुण्यं पुष्कर उवाच सामभेदौ मया प्रोक्तौ दानदण्डौ तथैव च दण्डः स्वदेशे कथितः परदेशे व्रवीमि ते
ity āgneye mahāopurāṇe yātrāmaṇḍalacintādirnāma dvātriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ atha trayastriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ ṣāḍguṇyaṃ puṣkara uvāca sāmabhedau mayā proktau dānadaṇḍau tathaiva ca daṇḍaḥ svadeśe kathitaḥ paradeśe vravīmi te
આ રીતે અગ્નિ મહાપુરાણમાં ‘યાત્રા-મંડલ-ચિંતાદિ’ નામનો દ્વિશત દ્વાત્રિંશમો અધ્યાય પૂર્ણ થયો. હવે ‘ષાડ્ગુણ્ય’—નીતિના છ ઉપાયો—વિષયક દ્વિશત ત્રયસ્ત્રિંશમો અધ્યાય આરંભે છે. પુષ્કરે કહ્યું—મેં સામ અને ભેદ, તેમજ દાન અને દંડ પણ સમજાવ્યા છે. સ્વદેશમાં દંડની રીત કહી છે; હવે પરદેશ સંબંધિત નીતિ તને કહું છું।
Puṣkara
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Curricular framing for ṣāḍguṇya (six foreign-policy measures) and the extension of daṇḍa-policy from internal governance to external/foreign contexts.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Transition to Ṣāḍguṇya: from internal daṇḍa to foreign policy","lookup_keywords":["ṣāḍguṇya","sāma","bheda","dāna","daṇḍa","paradeśa-nīti"],"quick_summary":"The text closes the campaign-and-mandala chapter and opens the ṣāḍguṇya chapter, recapping four upāyas and announcing a focus on daṇḍa as applied to foreign realms. It functions as a table-of-contents style bridge."}
Concept: Systematization of policy knowledge: upāyas and ṣāḍguṇya are taught as a structured science of governance.
Application: Use a structured decision-framework: distinguish internal enforcement from external strategy; choose among policy ‘modes’ (peace, war, posture, alliance, dual policy) based on capability and context.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Nīti-śāstra (Ṣāḍguṇya and foreign policy)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-teacher Puṣkara addresses a student, pointing to a palm-leaf manuscript heading ‘Ṣāḍguṇya’; behind them are symbolic panels for sāma, bheda, dāna, daṇḍa and a map indicating foreign realms.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru Puṣkara seated with palm-leaf text, student attentive, symbolic icons for four upāyas arranged like a mandala, temple-mural palette and stylization","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, teacher with ornate seat and gold embellishments, manuscript with highlighted title, four policy symbols (speech, split, gift, rod) in medallions, rich gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional classroom scene, clear manuscript headings, diagram of ṣāḍguṇya framework, fine lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly setting with books and scrolls, teacher lecturing, attendants holding manuscripts, marginal illustrations of policy measures, delicate detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इति+आग्नेये→इत्याग्नेये; चिन्तादिः+नाम→चिन्तादिर्नाम; द्विशततमः+अध्यायः→द्विशततमोऽध्यायः; ब्रवीमि is read for IAST ‘vravīmi’ (scribal/orthographic variant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 232 (Yātrā-maṇḍala-cintā: campaign planning, mandala); Agni Purana 233 (Ṣāḍguṇya: six measures of policy; continuation)
FAQs
It introduces nīti-vidyā (statecraft) via ṣāḍguṇya and frames the practical tools of diplomacy—sāma (conciliation), bheda (dissension), dāna (inducement), and daṇḍa (coercion)—shifting focus from internal punishment to foreign-policy application.
By moving from campaign/maṇḍala analysis to ṣāḍguṇya doctrine, it shows the Agni Purana’s coverage of political science alongside religious and ritual topics, preserving a compact manual of classical Indian diplomacy and governance.
In purāṇic rājadharma, correct use of daṇḍa and diplomacy is part of a king’s duty (dharma); just governance preserves social order and reduces adharma, generating merit through protection of subjects and restraint in coercion.