Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 14
Chapter 237 — Rāma’s Teaching on Nīti (रामोक्तनीतिः)
कृपणः पीड्यमानो हि मन्युना हन्ति पार्थिवं क्रियते ऽभ्यर्हणीयाय स्वजनाय यथाञ्जलिः
kṛpaṇaḥ pīḍyamāno hi manyunā hanti pārthivaṃ kriyate 'bhyarhaṇīyāya svajanāya yathāñjaliḥ
Orang yang hina dan kikir, ketika disiksa amarah, bahkan memukul raja; namun kepada kerabatnya sendiri yang patut dihormati, ia bersikap dengan tangan terkatup penuh takzim.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary narrational frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Warning for rulers and administrators: oppression breeds retaliatory violence; cultivate impartial honor and respectful conduct beyond kinship bias.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Nīti: Oppression, Anger, and the Paradox of Misplaced Reverence","lookup_keywords":["kṛpaṇa","manyu","pārthiva","pīḍā","svajana"],"quick_summary":"Explains that a base person, when oppressed and inflamed by anger, may strike even the king, yet shows folded-hands reverence to his own honored kin. Practical takeaway: injustice and humiliation generate dangerous resentment; respect must be consistent and impartial."}
Dosha: Pitta
Alamkara Type: Virodha/Paradox (contrasting behaviors)
Concept: Adharma of pīḍā (oppression) breeds manyu and social rupture; honor restricted to one’s own (svajana) is ethically inconsistent.
Application: Administrative practice: treat subjects with dignity, ensure fair hearings, avoid punitive excess; build loyalty through consistent respect rather than favoritism.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Niti and Governance Ethics)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Court/Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A furious oppressed man lashes out toward a king, while in another vignette the same man stands with folded hands before an honored kinsman, showing the paradox of fear, favoritism, and anger.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split narrative: left—angry man with tense posture confronting a guarded king; right—same man with añjali-mudrā before a respected relative; bold expressions, earthy reds, stylized architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, dramatic central king with attendants, an angry subject restrained, gold leaf on royal ornaments; side panel shows añjali to svajana; moral contrast emphasized with ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional diptych composition with captions ‘manyu’ and ‘añjali’, careful facial expression study, soft palette, focus on social-ethical lesson.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, dynamic court incident with precise gestures and guards, then a domestic scene of reverence to kin; detailed costumes, architectural interiors, calligraphic cartouche explaining the paradox."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्रियते ऽभ्यर्हणीयाय = क्रियते + अभ्यर्हणीयाय (अ → ’); यथाञ्जलिः = यथा + अञ्जलिः (आ + अ → आ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rājadharma passages on avoiding cruelty and ensuring protection; Agni Purana: Nīti/sadācāra sections on kṣamā and dayā as stabilizers
FAQs
Niti-vidya (practical ethics): it highlights how uncontrolled anger leads to rash, even treasonous violence, while social behavior can remain selectively deferential.
Alongside ritual and cosmological topics, the Agni Purana also preserves political-ethical instruction (rajadharma/niti), offering behavioral diagnostics relevant to governance and social order.
It warns that anger (manyu) drives adharmic acts with grave karmic consequences, urging self-restraint and impartial righteousness rather than selective courtesy.