Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 12
Ṣāḍguṇya — The Six Measures of Foreign Policy
with Rāja-maṇḍala Theory
दैवोपहतकश् चैव दैवनिन्दक एव च दुर्भिक्षव्यसनोपेतो बलव्यसनसङ्कुलः
daivopahatakaś caiva daivanindaka eva ca durbhikṣavyasanopeto balavyasanasaṅkulaḥ
वह दैव से आहत है और दैव-व्यवस्था का निंदक भी; दुर्भिक्ष की विपत्ति से ग्रस्त, तथा सेना/बल पर आने वाली आपदाओं में उलझा हुआ है।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Crisis governance: recognize calamities (vyasana) affecting ruler and state—fatalism, impiety, famine, and military distress—and prioritize corrective policy (relief, discipline, morale, dharmic legitimacy).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vyasanas (Calamities) Affecting Ruler and Polity","lookup_keywords":["vyasana","durbhiksha","bala-vyasana","daiva-upahata"],"quick_summary":"Misfortune attributed to fate, contempt for divine order, famine, and troubles in the armed forces are major destabilizers. The ruler must treat them as actionable governance failures requiring remedy, not mere omens."}
Concept: Ruler’s legitimacy depends on alignment with dharma (daiva) and protection of subjects; calamities signal rupture in order requiring rectification.
Application: Institute famine relief (grain reserves, price controls, charity), re-sacralize governance (avoid ninda), and stabilize the army (supply, discipline, leadership).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Governance and Omens (Vyasanani—Calamities affecting a ruler and polity)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A kingdom in crisis: parched fields and empty granaries (famine), weary soldiers with broken standards (army calamity), a ruler under ominous clouds (daivopahata), and a figure mocking sacred rites (daivanindaka).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: four-part narrative—drought landscape, starving villagers near granary, fatigued army camp, king under dark cloud with symbolic lightning; temple lamp and ritual scene contrasted with a reviler; bold dramatic palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central king with gold arch, but background shows drought and cracked earth; soldiers with dulled weapons; gold embossing used for royal insignia contrasted with muted famine tones; devotional counter-scene of proper rites.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional crisis tableau—labeled scenes of durbhiksha and bala-vyasana; minister presenting relief plan; delicate lines, emphasis on administrative response (grain distribution).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: famine relief camp with officials distributing grain; separate panel of army encampment with supply wagons; atmospheric sky over the fort; fine detail on faces showing hardship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: caiva = ca + eva; daivopahatakaś = daiva-upahatakaḥ; durbhikṣavyasanopeto = durbhikṣa-vyasana-upetaḥ; balavyasanasaṅkulaḥ compound.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on vyasana, durbhiksha-nivaraṇa (famine measures, contextual); Agni Purana Dhanurveda-related passages on army organization (bala)
FAQs
This verse conveys Rajadharma-based diagnostic knowledge: identifying a ruler/person’s decline through markers—fatalism/being overwhelmed by daiva, irreverence toward divine order, famine conditions, and disorder or calamity within the army.
It exemplifies the text’s governance and statecraft layer: alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana catalogs political risk factors—economic distress (famine) and military instability—framed as vyasana (calamities) affecting rule and society.
Spiritually, reviling daiva (divine order) and falling into vyasana are presented as signs of inner disorder and adverse karma; reverence for dharma and corrective governance are implied remedies to avert further decline.