Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 36
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
धर्मकामार्थसंयोगो मित्रात्तु त्रिविधं फलं औरसं तत्र सन्नद्धं तथा वंशक्रमागतं
dharmakāmārthasaṃyogo mitrāttu trividhaṃ phalaṃ aurasaṃ tatra sannaddhaṃ tathā vaṃśakramāgataṃ
મિત્રથી ત્રિવિધ ફળ પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે—ધર્મ, કામ અને અર્થનો સંયોગ. તે મિત્રતામાં બંધન ઔરસ—અર્થાત્ સ્વાભાવિક/સંતાનસમાન—રૂપે દૃઢ રહે છે, તેમજ વંશપરંપરાથી પ્રાપ્ત સંબંધની જેમ પણ સ્થિર ગણાય છે.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Understanding the tangible benefits of friendship/alliance for personal and state welfare: dharma-artha-kama gains and stability through natural/lineage bonds.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Threefold fruit from a friend: dharma–kama–artha; friendship as natural and lineage-stabilized bond","lookup_keywords":["mitra-phala","dharma-kama-artha","aurasa-bandha","vamsha-krama","social-capital"],"quick_summary":"States that a true friend yields integrated benefits—ethical support, legitimate enjoyment, and material advantage—and that such bonds can be as firm as kinship and strengthened through lineage continuity."}
Concept: Purushartha integration through friendship: dharma, artha, and kama are supported by stable social bonds resembling kinship.
Application: Cultivate long-term alliances and friendships that reinforce ethical conduct, prosperity, and well-being across generations.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Niti-shastra (Friendship, Counsel, and Social-Ethical Gains)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: srngara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two allied houses or friends sealing a bond that brings dharma, artha, and kama—shown as shared counsel, shared prosperity, and harmonious celebration; lineage continuity implied by elders and heirs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two families or allied nobles exchanging garlands and counsel, elders blessing, heirs present, symbolic motifs for dharma (lamp), artha (treasure), kama (festive music), harmonious palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, alliance ceremony with gold-worked ornaments, gifts and lamps, dignified figures with serene faces, emphasis on prosperity and auspicious continuity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic composition with three labeled fruits (dharma/artha/kama) around two friends, courtly interior, refined detailing and calm expressions","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, garden pavilion scene of allied nobles sharing counsel and a modest celebration, attendants with gifts, elders and young heirs included, intricate textiles and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Madhyamavati","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mitrāttu resolved as mitrāt tu; krama+āgatam→kramāgatam (ā + a sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Niti discussions on purusharthas and social bonds; Rajadharma on alliances and succession stability
FAQs
It conveys niti (statecraft/ethics) knowledge: friendship is a practical instrument yielding the three human aims—dharma, artha, and kāma—when properly secured as a stable bond.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves rajadharma and niti guidance; this verse treats social-political strategy by defining the tangible fruits of alliance/friendship in terms of the puruṣārthas.
By aligning friendship with dharma, the verse implies that alliances grounded in righteous conduct support orderly life and merit, ensuring that artha and kāma are pursued within a dharmic framework.