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
卑しく吝嗇な者は、怒りに責められると王すら打つ。しかし自らの親族—敬うべき者—に対しては、合掌（アンジャリ）して恭しく振る舞うのである。
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.