Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 13
Ṣāḍguṇya — The Six Measures of Foreign Policy
with Rāja-maṇḍala Theory
पुरःस्थिता इति ख , छ च मैत्रः सुखकरस्तथेति ग स्वदेशस्थो बहुरिपुर्मुक्तः कालेन यश् च ह सत्यधर्मव्यपेतश् च विंशतिः पुरुषा अमी
puraḥsthitā iti kha , cha ca maitraḥ sukhakarastatheti ga svadeśastho bahuripurmuktaḥ kālena yaś ca ha satyadharmavyapetaś ca viṃśatiḥ puruṣā amī
“Purah-sthitā” demikian menurut bacaan kha dan cha. “Seorang sahabat juga pemberi kenyamanan” demikian menurut bacaan ga. Orang yang tinggal di negerinya sendiri namun memiliki banyak musuh; yang dilepaskan pada waktunya; dan yang menyimpang dari kebenaran serta dharma—ini termasuk di antara dua puluh jenis orang yang disebutkan di sini.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) addressing sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Text-critical governance reading: reconcile variant readings (pāṭhabheda) while preserving the administrative list of ‘types of persons’; use the resulting categories for policy decisions and social risk assessment.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Pāṭhabheda Notes within the ‘Twenty Persons’ Enumeration","lookup_keywords":["pathabheda","kha-ga-cha","vimshati-purusha","rajadharma"],"quick_summary":"The verse preserves variant readings and gloss-like clarifications while continuing a list of person-types relevant to governance. It shows how the tradition stabilizes meaning across recensions for practical administrative use."}
Concept: Reliable knowledge for governance depends on careful transmission, comparison of readings, and stable categorization.
Application: When policy texts differ, compare recensions, choose readings that best fit context, and document variants to prevent administrative ambiguity.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Governance, diplomacy, and social ethics)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe and scholar compare palm-leaf manuscripts marked ‘kha’, ‘ga’, ‘cha’; a minister points to a list titled ‘Twenty Persons’; in the background, small figures represent: ‘those standing in front’, a friendly comfort-giver, a man in his own land with many enemies, a released prisoner, and a man fallen from truth and dharma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: manuscript comparison scene with stylized palm leaves and ink; labels kha/ga/cha; behind, symbolic vignettes of the person-types; warm lamp-lit scholarly ambience in a temple-library setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: seated scholar with palm-leaf manuscripts under a gold-embossed arch; minister and king observe; small gold medallions depict the listed person-types; rich ornamentation and clear calligraphic panels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean instructional painting of a manuscript collation desk; scribes annotating variants; a chart titled ‘Vimshati Purusha’; precise linework and legible list aesthetics.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: kitabkhana-like scriptorium with scholars collating texts; marginal notes in different hands; background mini-scenes of the person-types; intricate paper textures and architectural niches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: puraḥsthitā = puraḥ + sthitāḥ; tatheti = tathā + iti; svadeśastho = sva-deśa-sthaḥ; bahuripuḥ compound; yaś = yaḥ; vyapetaś = vyapetaḥ; puruṣā amī = puruṣāḥ amī. Note: 'kha/cha/ga' appear as textual marker letters (pāṭha-cihna) in the provided line.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma list of ‘vimshati purusha’ (twenty persons) surrounding these verses; Agni Purana sections where lists are preserved with variant readings (general encyclopedic style)
FAQs
This verse imparts niti-vidya (political-ethical classification): identifying social and political risk-types—those surrounded by enmity, those conditionally released, and those who have abandoned truth and dharma.
By cataloging human types relevant to statecraft and social order, it shows the Agni Purana’s coverage beyond ritual—into governance, diplomacy, and applied ethics used for advising rulers and administrators.
It warns that abandoning satya and dharma is a defining moral failure; recognizing and avoiding such conduct (and such persons) supports righteous governance and reduces karmic harm caused by unjust alliances or decisions.