Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 22
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
चौररक्षाधिकारिभ्यो राजापि हृतमाप्नुयात् अहृते यो हृतं ब्रूयान्निःसार्यो दण्ड्य एव सः
caurarakṣādhikāribhyo rājāpi hṛtamāpnuyāt ahṛte yo hṛtaṃ brūyānniḥsāryo daṇḍya eva saḥ
ಕಳ್ಳರ ರಕ್ಷಣಾ-ನಿಗಾ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಂದಲೂ ರಾಜನು ಕದ್ದ ವಸ್ತುವನ್ನು ವಾಪಸು ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು. ಆದರೆ ಕಳ್ಳತನವಾಗದೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ ‘ಕಳ್ಳತನವಾಗಿದೆ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುವವನು ಹೊರಹಾಕಲ್ಪಟ್ಟು ದಂಡನೀಯನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the usual Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Accountability mechanisms: recover stolen goods from negligent/corrupt anti-theft officials; penalize false theft allegations to prevent abuse of the legal system.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Liability of anti-theft officials and punishment for false theft claims","lookup_keywords":["caura-raksha-adhikari","official-liability","false-complaint","nihsarya","recovery"],"quick_summary":"If theft occurs, the king may recover losses from officials tasked with preventing it; but false claims of theft are punishable and may warrant expulsion, protecting courts from fraud."}
Concept: Nyāya (justice) requires both enforcement (official responsibility) and truthfulness (punishing fraudulent claims).
Application: Create oversight for policing/guard officials and sanctions for perjury/false reporting.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Vyavahāra (Governance, law, and judicial procedure)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Officials responsible for guarding against thieves stand before the king; recovered stolen goods are demanded from them; separately, a false accuser is expelled from the court.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel narrative: king confronting negligent guards; second panel shows a deceitful complainant being led out; strong gestures, moral clarity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold accents; king pointing to ledgers and recovered goods; guards with lowered heads; ornate borders; second vignette of expulsion","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, administrative scene with registers, seals, and measured expressions; emphasis on procedure—recovery from officials and punishment for false claim","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bureaucratic realism: guards, scribes, inventory of goods; false claimant escorted out; fine detailing of documents and court architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चौररक्षाधिकारिभ्यो = चौर-रक्षा-अधिकारीभ्यः; राजापि = राजा + अपि; हृतमाप्नुयात् = हृतम् + आप्नुयात्; ब्रूयान्निःसार्यः = ब्रूयात् + निःसार्यः (त्→न् before न).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 222.21 (theft penalty; restitution); Agni Purana 222.23 (limits of royal compensation)
FAQs
It imparts juridical governance (vyavahāra-vidyā): the king may recover stolen goods from negligent anti-theft officials, and false allegations of theft invite expulsion and punishment.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical statecraft and legal norms—covering accountability of public officers and penalties for false claims, typical of dharmaśāstra-style governance material.
It reinforces dharma through daṇḍa: protecting society from theft and from deceitful speech (false accusation), both treated as adharma that generates negative karma and social disorder.