Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 9
Rājanīti (Statecraft): Ṣaḍvidha-bala, Vyūha-vidhāna, and Strategic Warfare
कन्दरे शैलगहने निम्नगावनसङ्कटे दीर्घाध्वनि परिश्रान्तं क्षुत्पिपासाहितक्लमं
kandare śailagahane nimnagāvanasaṅkaṭe dīrghādhvani pariśrāntaṃ kṣutpipāsāhitaklamaṃ
នៅក្នុងរូងភ្នំ ក្នុងព្រៃថ្មក្រាស់ និងទីជ្រោះទាបគ្រោះថ្នាក់ជាមួយច្រកព្រៃ—គាត់នឿយហត់ពីដំណើរយូរ ហើយអស់កម្លាំងដោយភាពនឿយលំបាកជាមួយឃ្លាន និងស្រេក។
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Narrative exemplum for recognizing traveler-exhaustion and the need for shelter, water, and rest during forest-journeys; also sets a scene for subsequent ethical/governance or strategic instruction.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Forest-journey hardship: fatigue with hunger and thirst","lookup_keywords":["kandara","shailagahana","kshut-pipasa","parishranta","durga-marga"],"quick_summary":"Depicts the classic hardship motif—long travel through caves, ravines, and dense rocky terrain leading to exhaustion with hunger and thirst. Practically, it cues the need for provisioning, route-planning, and compassionate aid to the distressed."}
Dosha: Vata
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa
Concept: Compassion toward the distressed traveler; recognition of human vulnerability in harsh environments.
Application: In governance and household ethics: offer water, food, and safe lodging to wayfarers; in planning: do not send people unprovisioned into durga terrain.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Katha / Narrative Illustration (Forest-journey hardship motif within encyclopedic discourse)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone traveler slumps with fatigue at the mouth of a mountain cave, surrounded by jagged rocks, dense forest, and a narrow ravine-path; signs of thirst and hunger are visible.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, earthy reds and greens, stylized rocky cave and dense forest, weary traveler with minimal ornaments, expressive eyes showing fatigue, dramatic ravine depth, temple-mural composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central weary traveler near cave entrance, ornate but restrained gold highlights on rocks and foliage edges, rich flat colors, devotional narrative framing despite hardship","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework showing terrain details—ravine, forest-pass, cave—traveler seated with water-skin empty, muted palette, instructional clarity of landscape","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed naturalism of rocks and trees, narrow winding path through ravine, traveler with attendants absent, subtle shading to show exhaustion, high-detail landscape vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्षुत्पिपासाहितक्लमं = क्षुत् + पिपासा + आहित + क्लमम् (internal sandhi: क्षुत्+पिपासा→क्षुत्पिपासा).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma sections on protection of the weak and travelers; Agni Purana: Dhanurveda sections where terrain (desha) affects action
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse provides a precise narrative description of a traveler’s physical condition—exhaustion from long travel and depletion by hunger and thirst.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purana also preserves compact narrative and descriptive Sanskrit that models observation of human states (travel, fatigue, survival), supporting ethical and practical instruction through story-context.
By foregrounding hardship and bodily limitation, the verse supports a dharmic takeaway common in Purāṇic narration: compassion toward the distressed and the merit of offering aid (food, water, shelter) to exhausted travelers.