Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 19
Yātrā-Maṇḍala-Cintā and Rājya-Rakṣaṇa: Auspicious Travel Rules and the Twelve-King Mandala
निग्रहानुग्रहे शक्तः सर्वेषामपि यो भवेत् उदासीनः स कथितो बलवान् पृथिवीपतिः
nigrahānugrahe śaktaḥ sarveṣāmapi yo bhavet udāsīnaḥ sa kathito balavān pṛthivīpatiḥ
ພຣະຣາຊາເຈົ້າແຜ່ນດິນນັ້ນ ຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າມີພະລັງອຳນາດແທ້ ເມື່ອທ່ານສາມາດຕໍ່ຄົນທັງປວງ ທັງລົງໂທດ/ຂັບຂີ່ ແລະ ໃຫ້ພອນ/ມອບລາງວັນ ແລະຍັງຄົງຄວາມກາງກາງ ບໍ່ເອີ້ນອະຄະຕິສ່ວນຕົວ.
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Leadership training for rulers/administrators: demonstrate strength through impartial governance—consistent capacity to punish and reward across all groups.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Balavān Pṛthivīpati (Truly Powerful King) — impartial nigraha/anugraha","lookup_keywords":["balavan","prithivipati","udaseena","nigraha","anugraha"],"quick_summary":"Royal power is defined not as mere force but as the impartial ability to restrain and to favor all subjects appropriately. Detachment (udāsīnatā) is presented as the stabilizer of state authority."}
Concept: True power is ethical power: impartiality and even-handed application of sanction and benefaction.
Application: For modern governance/management: create transparent criteria for rewards and penalties; avoid favoritism; cultivate emotional detachment in decisions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance and Kingly Duties)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A powerful king stands or sits firmly, showing equal regard to all—soldiers, merchants, farmers—dispensing a reward to one and a lawful punishment to another without anger or favoritism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king as udāsīna, serene face, right hand granting, left holding danda, diverse subjects in stylized rows, palace backdrop with lamps and pillars, saturated colors and thick contours.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: majestic king with gold-foil arch, two vignettes—reward and punishment—balanced on either side, ornate jewelry, embossed gold highlights, symmetrical composition emphasizing impartiality.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional tableau of governance—king, ministers, and citizens; subtle expressions; fine brushwork; emphasis on calm detachment and orderly administration.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: durbar scene with meticulous detail; the ruler consults a minister, then issues a decree; one petitioner receives a robe of honor, another is fined—both depicted with restrained realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarveṣāmapi = sarveṣām + api; pṛthivīpatiḥ = pṛthivī + patiḥ; nigrahānugrahe as dvandva compound in locative singular.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma passages on the king’s qualities and danda-niti (contextual)
FAQs
It teaches rāja-vidyā/statecraft: the calibrated use of nigraha (punishment/restraint) and anugraha (reward/protection) applied universally, grounded in udāsīnatā (impartiality).
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also codifies practical governance (rājadharma and danda-nīti), presenting administrative ethics as part of comprehensive Puranic knowledge.
Impartial rule and just punishment/reward reduce rāga-dveṣa (attachment and aversion) in governance, supporting dharma and generating merit for the ruler by protecting subjects without personal bias.