Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 18
Chapter 233 — Ṣāḍguṇya (The Six Measures of Royal Policy) and Foreign Daṇḍa
पणबन्धः स्मृतः सन्धिरपकारस्तु विग्रहः जिगीषोः शत्रुविषये यानं यात्राभिधीयते
paṇabandhaḥ smṛtaḥ sandhirapakārastu vigrahaḥ jigīṣoḥ śatruviṣaye yānaṃ yātrābhidhīyate
ສັນທິ ແມ່ນທີ່ເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າ ເປັນຂໍ້ຕົກລົງທີ່ຜູກມັດດ້ວຍເງື່ອນໄຂ ຫຼື ຄຳປະກັນ (ປະນະບັນທະ)। ການກະທຳທຳຮ້າຍ (ອະປະກາຣະ) ນັ້ນເອີ້ນວ່າ ວິກຣະຫະ (ສົງຄາມ)។ ແລະ ຍານ—ທີ່ເອີ້ນອີກວ່າ ຍາຕຣາ—ແມ່ນການກະທຳຂອງຜູ້ປາຖະໜາຈະຊະນະ (ຈິກີສຸ) ທີ່ມຸ່ງໄປຫາສັດຕູ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Operational definitions for treaty, war, and expedition; clarifies what counts as binding peace, hostile action, and a conqueror’s campaign.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Definitions of Sandhi, Vigraha, and Yāna (Paṇabandha, Apakāra, Yātrā)","lookup_keywords":["paṇabandha","apakāra","jigīṣu","yāna","yātrā"],"quick_summary":"A treaty is a pledge-backed pact; war is hostile injury; an expedition is the conqueror’s directed campaign against an enemy."}
Concept: Political acts are distinguished by their binding instruments (pledge), ethical-legal character (injury), and intention (conquest).
Application: Draft treaties with enforceable stipulations; identify hostile acts precisely; define campaign objectives and enemy-scope.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Statecraft and the Six Measures of Foreign Policy / Ṣāḍguṇya)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three vignettes: (1) treaty signing with pledged tokens, (2) hostile act depicted as raid or sabotage, (3) conqueror leading an organized march toward an enemy fort.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych, left: oath and pledge exchange, center: apakāra raid scene, right: yātrā procession with banners, bold outlines and traditional palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore triptych with gold work: treaty scene with ornate scroll and pledge coins, war scene with stylized conflict, expedition scene with king on horse under parasol, gilded borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional panels: labeled Sandhi/Paṇabandha, Vigraha/Apakāra, Yāna/Yātrā/Jigīṣu, clean composition and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature narrative sequence, court treaty with documents, covert hostile act at night, daylight march with elephants and cavalry toward a fort, intricate landscape."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सन्धिरपकारस्तु→सन्धिः+अपकारः+तु; यात्राभिधीयते→यात्रा+अभिधीयते
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma: definitions of nīti terms; dūta and sandhi-making passages
FAQs
It gives technical definitions from rajadharma/statecraft: sandhi as a pledged/conditioned pact (paṇabandha), vigraha as hostile aggression (apakāra), and yāna/yātrā as the conqueror’s military expedition directed toward the enemy.
By codifying precise political and military terminology (treaty, war, expedition) used in classical Indian governance, it shows the Agni Purana functioning not only as a religious text but also as a handbook of applied knowledge on diplomacy and war-policy.
It frames warfare and peacemaking as regulated duties under dharma: actions like treaty-making, rupture, and marching are to be understood and undertaken with discernment, limiting adharma-driven violence and supporting righteous rule.