Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 9
Prātyahika-Rāja-Karma
Daily Duties of a King
श्रुत्वेतिहासं कार्याणि कार्याणां कार्यनिर्णयम् व्यवहारन्ततः पश्येन्मन्त्रं कुर्यात्तु मन्त्रिभिः
śrutvetihāsaṃ kāryāṇi kāryāṇāṃ kāryanirṇayam vyavahārantataḥ paśyenmantraṃ kuryāttu mantribhiḥ
ಇತಿಹಾಸ (ಪೂರ್ವದೃಷ್ಟಾಂತ)ವನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ, ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಿ, ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳ ಯುಕ್ತ ನಿರ್ಣಯವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ವ್ಯವಹಾರವನ್ನು ಅಂತಿಮ ಫಲಿತಾಂಶದವರೆಗೆ ನೋಡಿ, ನಂತರ ಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮಂತ್ರಣ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vashistha in rajadharma/rajaniti sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Decision-making method: consult precedents/itihasa, determine the proper ruling, verify practical execution, then deliberate with ministers—useful for governance and dispute resolution.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vyavahara-nirnaya by Itihasa and Mantri-mantra","lookup_keywords":["itihāsa","kārya-nirṇaya","vyavahāra","mantra","mantribhiḥ"],"quick_summary":"Hear precedents, decide the matter, examine it through to practical completion, and then counsel with ministers—combining tradition, fact-finding, and collective deliberation."}
Concept: Right action in polity arises from śruti-smṛti-like precedent (itihāsa), rational determination, and ministerial consultation.
Application: Use a structured workflow: precedent review → decision → implementation check → cabinet counsel.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Counsel, and Legal Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ruler hears a reciter cite precedents, reviews documents of a case, then confers with ministers around a council table, with scribes recording the decision.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, council chamber with palm-leaf manuscripts, reciter narrating itihāsa, king listening, ministers seated in semicircle, scribe with stylus, bold flat colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king and ministers under ornate arch, gold detailing on manuscripts and throne, scribe at lower corner writing the nirṇaya, dignified symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional clarity: panels showing hearing precedent, examining case facts, then ministerial counsel; fine lines, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, administrative realism: documents, seals, scribes, ministers in discussion, ruler pointing to a petition, architectural depth and patterned carpets"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रुत्वेतिहासं = श्रुत्वा + इतिहासम्; व्यवहारन्ततः = व्यवहारम् + ततः; पश्येन्मन्त्रं = पश्येत् + मन्त्रम्; कुर्यात्तु = कुर्यात् + तु
Related Themes: Agni Purana rajadharma: mantra-nīti, vyavahāra, sabhā duties of king and ministers
FAQs
It imparts rāja-nīti/rajadharma procedure: decide cases by consulting precedent (itihāsa), examining the matter through the full course of vyavahāra (practical/legal process), and then deliberating (mantra) with qualified ministers.
Beyond theology and ritual, it preserves administrative and juridical best-practices—how a ruler should investigate, adjudicate, and consult—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of governance, law, and policy alongside spiritual instruction.
Just adjudication grounded in precedent, full investigation, and wise counsel supports dharma, reduces injustice-born karma for the ruler, and sustains social order—considered a righteous duty (dharma) of kingship.