Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 33
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
तेनायुर्वर्धते राज्ञो द्रविणं राष्ट्रमेव च कर्म कुर्युर् नरेन्द्रस्य मासेनैकञ्च शिल्पिनः
tenāyurvardhate rājño draviṇaṃ rāṣṭrameva ca karma kuryur narendrasya māsenaikañca śilpinaḥ
ಆ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಯಿಂದ ರಾಜನ ಆಯುಷ್ಯ ವೃದ್ಧಿಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ; ಸಂಪತ್ತು ಮತ್ತು ರಾಜ್ಯವೂ ವೃದ್ಧಿಯಾಗುತ್ತವೆ. ಶಿಲ್ಪಿಗಳು ರಾಜನ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ತಲಾ ಒಂದು ತಿಂಗಳು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Statecraft linking welfare to royal prosperity; organize corvée/rotational public service by artisans for one month each to meet state needs without overburdening any single guild.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Rotational artisan service (śilpinām māsa-paryāya-kārya)","lookup_keywords":["śilpin","paryāya","māsa","rājñaḥ karma","rāṣṭra-vṛddhi"],"quick_summary":"Proper support of dharmic dependents increases the king’s longevity and the kingdom’s wealth; artisans should contribute to royal works in monthly rotation to distribute labor fairly."}
Concept: Reciprocity: dharmic governance yields āyuḥ (longevity) and draviṇa (wealth); fair labor allocation sustains social harmony.
Application: Implement rotating civic duty rosters for guilds; compensate or provide tax offsets; prevent forced labor concentration.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, statecraft, and royal administration)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A prosperous court with ledgers and granaries; artisans—carpenter, mason, metalworker—arrive in monthly turns to work on royal projects while others return to their shops.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, procession of different artisans with tools (chisel, hammer, saw), a scribe marking a monthly roster, palace workshop setting, bright flat colors and rhythmic arrangement","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold detailing on tools and royal insignia, artisans presenting their craft to the king, a calendar-like motif indicating monthly rotation, rich decorative borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional scene: roster board showing months, artisans in sequence, workshop benches and measured materials, fine linework emphasizing organization","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed atelier scene with multiple craftsmen, overseer holding a register, architectural construction in background, naturalistic tools and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tenāyurvardhate → tena + āyuḥ + vardhate; rāṣṭrameva → rāṣṭram + eva; kuryur → kuryuḥ; māsenaikañca → māsena + ekam + ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma: taxation, welfare, and social organization (222.30-34)
FAQs
It gives an administrative rule: artisans (śilpinaḥ) are to render service to the king in a monthly rotation, presented as a prosperity-producing governance measure.
Beyond theology, it records practical public-administration norms—labor organization, state prosperity, and royal policy—showing the text’s coverage of governance and economics alongside ritual and dharma.
Good governance and fair, orderly service are framed as dharmic conduct that increases the ruler’s longevity and the realm’s prosperity, linking administrative policy with auspicious karmic outcomes.