Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 9
Chapter 225 — राजधर्माः
The Duties of Kings): Daiva and Pौरुष (Effort), Upāyas of Statecraft, and Daṇḍa (Punitive Authority
परस्परन्तु ये द्विष्टाः क्रुद्धभीतावमानिताः तेषान्भेदं प्रयुञ्जीत परमं दर्शयेद्भयं
parasparantu ye dviṣṭāḥ kruddhabhītāvamānitāḥ teṣānbhedaṃ prayuñjīta paramaṃ darśayedbhayaṃ
ប៉ុន្តែ អ្នកដែលស្អប់គ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក—ខឹង ភ័យ ឬត្រូវអាម៉ាស់—គួរប្រើយុទ្ធវិធីបំបែកឲ្យខ្វះសាមគ្គី ហើយបង្ហាញការភ័យខ្លាចដ៏ខ្លាំងបំផុត ដើម្បីទប់ស្កាត់។
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Diplomatic statecraft: exploit existing rivalries in hostile factions and reinforce deterrence to prevent coalition-building against the king.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bheda-nīti and Bhaya-darśana (Dissension and Deterrence)","lookup_keywords":["bheda","bhaya-darśana","dviṣṭa","nīti","diplomacy"],"quick_summary":"When opponents are already mutually hostile (angry, fearful, insulted), the ruler should intensify their split (bheda) and project strong deterrent fear to keep them from uniting."}
Concept: Rāja-nīti: managing enemies through bheda (division) and bhaya (deterrent fear).
Application: In governance/security, identify fault-lines in hostile groups and prevent their consolidation by calibrated deterrence.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Statecraft, diplomacy, and practical governance)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in council receives reports of two rival enemy factions; he signals spies to inflame their quarrel while a display of royal power (armed guards, banners) projects fear.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, royal court scene, stylized king with attendants and spies whispering, two enemy envoys glaring at each other, bold flat colors, ornate jewelry, temple-mural composition, emphasis on expressive eyes and gestures of fear and anger","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated king on throne with gold-leaf ornaments, ministers beside him, two rival envoys separated by guards, symbolic fear motif (raised royal standard, weapons displayed), rich reds and greens, heavy gold work and embossed details","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, detailed courtly strategy scene, king pointing to a map, spies presenting intelligence, two enemy leaders shown in separate panels arguing, delicate linework, muted palette, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, durbar with intricate textiles, king conferring with wazir, discreet spy exchange, rival envoys in tense posture, fine architectural background, naturalistic faces, emphasis on political intrigue"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परस्परन्तु → परस्परम् + तु; तेषान्भेदं → तेषाम् + भेदम्; दर्शयेद्भयं → दर्शयेत् + भयम् (त् + भ → द्भ)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 225 (Rāja-nīti: sāma-dāna-bheda-daṇḍa context)
FAQs
It teaches a Nīti (statecraft) technique: when opponents are already mutually hostile (angry, fearful, insulted), a ruler/minister should apply bheda (fomenting division) and reinforce deterrence by demonstrating severe fear (bhaya) to prevent unified resistance.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves pragmatic governance doctrine—classical upāyas like bheda and bhaya-darśana—showing it functions as a compendium that includes political science and conflict strategy alongside religious instruction.
In a dharmic frame, it implies maintaining order (rāja-dharma) through measured strategy; however, it also cautions that fear and division are powerful tools that should be used for protection of the realm and prevention of greater harm, not for adharmic oppression.