Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 7
Chapter 16 — बुद्धाद्यवतारकथनम्
Narration of Buddha and Other Incarnations
धर्मकञ्चुकसंवीता अधर्मरुचयस् तथा मानुषान् भक्षयिष्यन्ति म्लेच्छाः पार्थिवरूपिणः
dharmakañcukasaṃvītā adharmarucayas tathā mānuṣān bhakṣayiṣyanti mlecchāḥ pārthivarūpiṇaḥ
法の衣をまといながら不法を好む者として、王の姿を装ったムレッチャたちは人々を「食らう」—すなわち圧迫し、搾り尽くすであろう。
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Governance ethics: identify ‘dharma-cloaked’ predation—tyranny, propaganda, and exploitation—so communities can demand accountability and protect subjects.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pārthiva-rūpi Mleccha: Adharma under Dharma Cloak","lookup_keywords":["mleccha","pārthiva-rūpin","dharma-kāñcuka","oppression","rajadharma"],"quick_summary":"The verse warns of rulers who wear the appearance of dharma while delighting in adharma, ‘devouring’ people through oppression. It functions as a diagnostic of illegitimate power."}
Alamkara Type: Rupaka
Concept: Dharma-ābhāsa (mere appearance of righteousness) enables systemic adharma; true rajadharma is measured by protection, not costume.
Application: Evaluate leaders by outcomes: protection of prajā, fair taxation, justice, and restraint; resist normalization of cruelty justified as ‘dharma’.
Khanda Section: Bhaviṣya-kathana (Prophetic/Portent Section)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"False kings in royal dress with a ‘cloak of dharma’ (religious symbols) oppress citizens—tax collectors, prisons, and suffering people—showing predation disguised as righteousness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic narrative: a crowned ruler with sacred marks and dharma-banner, yet shadowy attendants seize commoners, intense expressions, temple-mural palette, moral allegory","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central faux-righteous king with gold ornaments and a dharma-scroll, below him suffering subjects, gold leaf highlighting the deceptive ‘cloak’, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic split-scene: ‘dharma-kāñcuka’ ruler on one side, true rajadharma protector on the other, labeled elements, soft colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with a ruler receiving petitions while guards drag people away behind a screen, intricate textiles, architectural depth, subtle satire"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्मकञ्चुकसंवीता = धर्म-कञ्चुक-संवीताः; अधर्मरुचयस् = अधर्मरुचयः (विसर्ग-सन्धि/छन्दसि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma and danda-niti discussions (elsewhere in the text); Agni Purana: Kali-yuga lakshana passages (adjacent)
FAQs
It conveys rajadharma-oriented discernment: recognizing adharma when it is masked by outward signs of dharma, a practical warning for governance and social ethics rather than a ritual procedure.
Alongside ritual, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves political-ethical diagnostics—Kali-yuga portents describing how power can mimic religion—thereby covering societal governance and moral decline as a knowledge domain.
The verse warns that outward religiosity without inner dharma leads to collective harm; spiritually, it urges vigilance, truthful conduct, and refusal to support hypocritical power, which protects one’s karma from complicity in adharma.