Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 9
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
सधेनुञ्चाश्विने दद्यात्सिद्धिमात्यन्तिकीं लभेत् यत्राधिकृत्य शत्रूनान्धर्माधर्मविचारणा
sadhenuñcāśvine dadyātsiddhimātyantikīṃ labhet yatrādhikṛtya śatrūnāndharmādharmavicāraṇā
અશ્વિનિકુમારોને ગાયનું દાન આપવું જોઈએ; તેથી પરમ સિદ્ધિ પ્રાપ્ત થાય છે. તે પ્રસંગે શત્રુઓને આધારે ધર્મ-અધર્મનો વિચાર થાય છે.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical frame of the Agni Purāṇa)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for royal adjudication: use dana (cow-gift to Aśvins) as a meritorious act while maintaining rigorous dharma–adharma inquiry when dealing with enemies and disputes.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Aśvinī-go-dāna and dharma–adharma vicāra in enemy-affairs","lookup_keywords":["Aśvinī","go-dāna","rājadharma","dharma-adharma-vicāra","śatru-vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"Cow-gift to the Aśvins is praised as yielding ‘ultimate accomplishment’; in governance, decisions involving enemies must be tested through dharma–adharma discrimination rather than impulse or vengeance."}
Concept: Dharma–adharma viveka as the governing criterion even in hostile contexts; merit (dāna) supports but does not replace discernment.
Application: In conflict management and legal disputes, apply principled tests (dharma) before action; pair statecraft with personal/ritual merit without confusing the two.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dāna-vidhi (Gifts, governance, and legal-ethical adjudication)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king or householder offers a decorated cow in a ritual setting to the twin Aśvins; nearby, a royal court scene shows ministers weighing dharma vs adharma regarding an enemy case.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style: twin Aśvins with radiant crowns receiving a cow-dāna from a dharmic king; warm ochres and greens, stylized lotus motifs, court scribes holding palm-leaf records of dharma-adharma deliberation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central Aśvin twins with gold-leaf halos; donor presenting a cow with ornate caparison; side panel of a royal sabhā with ministers and dharma-śāstra manuscript, heavy gold work and jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional court tableau—king, purohita, and ministers pointing to a dharma-adharma scale; inset vignette of cow-dāna to Aśvins; delicate lines, muted palette, clear didactic labeling.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed durbar scene with ethical adjudication over an enemy matter; in the margin, a small ritual scene of cow-gift to the Aśvins; fine textiles, naturalistic cow, calligraphic captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सधेनुञ्च = स-धेनुम् + च; दद्यात्सिद्धिमात्यन्तिकीं = दद्यात् + सिद्धिम् + आत्यन्तिकीम्; शत्रूनान्धर्माधर्मविचारणा = शत्रूनाम् + धर्म-अधर्म-विचारणा.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: rājadharma/daṇḍanīti sections; Agni Purana: dāna-vidhi (go-dāna, devatā-dāna)
FAQs
It teaches a specific dāna-vidhi: gifting a cow to the Aśvins, presented as yielding ‘ultimate accomplishment’ (ātyantikī siddhi).
It links ritual charity (dāna) with practical ethics of governance—introducing dharma–adharma deliberation specifically when confronting or judging matters involving enemies (śatrūṇām).
The verse frames cow-gifting to the Aśvins as a high-merit act that matures into supreme siddhi, while emphasizing that righteous outcomes require discernment between dharma and adharma in conflict situations.