Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 19
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
स तु दण्ड्यः शतं राज्ञा सुवर्णं वाप्यरक्षिता चौरवद्वधमर्हतोति घ , ञ च वरयेद्यदि इति घ , ञ च धनुःशतं परीणाहो ग्रामस्य तु समन्ततः
sa tu daṇḍyaḥ śataṃ rājñā suvarṇaṃ vāpyarakṣitā cauravadvadhamarhatoti gha , ña ca varayedyadi iti gha , ña ca dhanuḥśataṃ parīṇāho grāmasya tu samantataḥ
ऐसा प्रमादी रक्षक राजा द्वारा सौ सुवर्ण के दण्ड से दण्डित किया जाए। और यदि वह वस्तु/स्थान असुरक्षित रह जाए तो वह चोर के समान वध का पात्र है। यदि वह अपराध को रोक दे, तो ग्राम की सीमा चारों ओर सौ धनुष की परिधि तक मानी जाए।
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in rajadharma/dandanīti material typical of the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides state punishment for negligent guardians/watchmen and defines a measurable village boundary standard (100 bow-lengths circumference) tied to security obligations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Penalty for negligent village guardian; boundary measure of 100 bow-lengths","lookup_keywords":["arakshita (unguarded)","watchman negligence","fine 100 suvarna","death like thief","dhanushata boundary"],"quick_summary":"A negligent protector is fined 100 suvarnas; persistent failure can merit capital punishment like theft. A cited legal reading links effective warding-off to a village boundary measure of one hundred bow-lengths around."}
Weapon Type: Bow (as a unit of measure: dhanus)
Concept: Protection (raksha) is a royal and delegated duty; negligence becomes moral-legal complicity.
Application: Use in administrative manuals: appointing guards, auditing failures, and demarcating jurisdictional boundaries for liability.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance, criminal law, village administration)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village watchman stands before the king after a theft; a scribe notes a fine of 100 suvarnas; a boundary surveyor measures a circular perimeter using a bow-length standard around the village.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king with parasol, stern officer presenting a negligent guard, gold coins shown as fine, surveyor pacing with a bow as measuring rod around stylized village huts and fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: regal darbar with heavy gold ornament, guard kneeling, tray of suvarnas, and a secondary vignette of boundary marking with posts and a measuring bow, ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction of boundary measurement—surveyors marking a 100-dhanus circumference, clear labels, alongside a courtroom panel showing graded punishment for negligence.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed village outskirts with boundary posts, surveyors measuring; separate darbar scene with the watchman fined, naturalistic faces, architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāpyarakṣitā read as vā + api + arakṣitā; cauravadvadhamarhati = caura-vat + vadham + arhati. The markers “gha, ña ca” appear to be editorial/recension notes and are not analyzed as Sanskrit padas.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Dandaniti: theft, negligence, village administration)
FAQs
It teaches dandanīti (penal policy): the king fines negligent protectors (100 suvarṇas) and treats severe negligence like theft, while also giving a technical administrative measure for a village’s surrounding extent (dhanuḥśata parīṇāha).
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—criminal liability, fines in suvarṇas, and standardized land/settlement measures—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and civil administration.
By enforcing protection and punishing negligence, the ruler upholds dharma and prevents harm to subjects; maintaining social order is treated as a righteous duty that supports collective merit and reduces adharma-driven suffering.