Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 2
Rājanīti (Statecraft): Ṣaḍvidha-bala, Vyūha-vidhāna, and Strategic Warfare
पूर्वं पूर्वं गरीयस्तु बलानां व्यसनं तथा षडङ्गं मन्त्रकोषाभ्यां पदात्यश्वरथद्विपैः
pūrvaṃ pūrvaṃ garīyastu balānāṃ vyasanaṃ tathā ṣaḍaṅgaṃ mantrakoṣābhyāṃ padātyaśvarathadvipaiḥ
諸要素においては、前に挙げられるものほど後のものより重い。同様に、軍の弱点も理解されるべきである。六分の（王権の）力とは、謀議と財庫に加え、歩兵・騎兵・戦車・戦象から成る。
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, as per the dominant Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Prioritizing elements of state power and military arms; assessing relative importance and vulnerabilities; structuring budgets and command around mantra (counsel) and kośa (treasury) plus the four arms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ṣaḍaṅga-rājaśakti: Mantra, Kośa, and the fourfold army (pādāti-aśva-ratha-dvipa)","lookup_keywords":["shadanga","mantra","kosha","chaturanga-bala","vyasana"],"quick_summary":"Royal power is six-limbed: counsel and treasury underpin the four arms (infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants); earlier elements are weightier, and each limb has vulnerabilities that must be managed."}
Weapon Type: Chariots; elephants; cavalry; infantry (as arms rather than single weapons)
Concept: Power is systemic: intellect (mantra) and resources (kośa) precede brute force; neglect of foundations causes collapse.
Application: Build competent councils and stable revenue before expansion; audit vulnerabilities across arms and fix weakest links first.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dhanurveda (Military Organization and Strategy)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic royal council scene: ministers advising (mantra), treasurers counting wealth (kośa), and behind them the four arms displayed—infantry ranks, cavalry, chariots, and elephants—suggesting a six-limbed state power model.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, panel-like composition: council chamber with ministers; treasury chests; four military arms in separate bands; clear hierarchy from counsel/treasury to troops; calm instructional tone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king with ministers and golden treasury motifs; four arms depicted with ornate gold accents on armor, chariots, and elephant caparisons; symmetrical, iconic arrangement.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic ‘six limbs’ layout with labels; refined linework; emphasis on order and hierarchy; suitable as a manual illustration for princes.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed durbar with accountants and ministers; adjacent vignettes of infantry drill, cavalry, chariot corps, and elephant corps; naturalistic rendering of equipment and uniforms."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गरीयस्तु = गरीयान् + तु; मन्त्रकोषाभ्याम् = मन्त्र + कोष + आभ्याम्; पदात्यश्वरथद्विपैः = पदाति + अश्व + रथ + द्विपैः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 241 (Rājanīti: power components and military organization)
FAQs
It imparts practical statecraft and military science: the ranked importance of components and the definition of the sixfold royal power—counsel (mantra), treasury (koṣa), and the four military arms (infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants).
It shows the Purāṇa functioning as a manual of governance and warcraft (rajadharma/dhanurveda), not only theology—cataloguing administrative power (counsel, finance) alongside battlefield resources (the fourfold army).
By framing kingship as ordered, disciplined, and responsibility-based, it supports dharmic rule: protecting subjects and maintaining social stability are treated as righteous duties whose proper execution yields merit and reduces harm.