Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
अधर्मो धर्मबुद्ध्या तु गृहीतस्तैर् अपण्डितैः आत्मनो मनसश् चैव संयोगञ्च तथा परे
adharmo dharmabuddhyā tu gṛhītastair apaṇḍitaiḥ ātmano manasaś caiva saṃyogañca tathā pare
അപണ്ഡിതർ അധർമത്തെ ധർമബുദ്ധിയോടെ സ്വീകരിക്കുന്നു. അവർ ആത്മാവിന്റെയും മനസ്സിന്റെയും യഥാർത്ഥ ബന്ധത്തെയും, മറ്റ് തത്ത്വങ്ങളെയും, തെറ്റായി വ്യാഖ്യാനിക്കുന്നു.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Identify and correct moral inversion (adharma mistaken as dharma) in governance and personal conduct; cultivate discernment about self–mind relation to avoid ethical and cognitive error.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Adharma mistaken as Dharma; confusion of Ātman–Manas relation","lookup_keywords":["adharma as dharma","apandita","ātman manas saṃyoga","mithyā-buddhi","nīti"],"quick_summary":"The verse warns that the unlearned mislabel unrighteousness as righteousness and misunderstand inner principles like Self and mind. Ethical failure is tied to cognitive confusion."}
Concept: Viparyaya (inversion) in ethical judgment and metaphysical understanding leads to adharma; right knowledge (pāṇḍitya/viveka) is protective of dharma.
Application: In policy and personal life, test ‘dharma’ claims against śāstra, sadācāra, and consequences; in sādhanā, separate witness-Self from mind to prevent rationalizing wrongdoing.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Niti-shastra (Ethics, Misrule, and Moral Discernment)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A court or assembly where misguided advisors label a dark act as ‘dharma’, while a discerning sage points to the true path; in the background, a subtle depiction of Self as lamp and mind as flickering flame to show confusion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal sabhā scene with stylized ministers; one group holding a scroll marked ‘dharma’ over a shadowy act; a rishi with calm gesture of correction; strong narrative clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central figure of a sage (guru) with gold halo, pointing to a dharma-śāstra palm-leaf; on side panels, ‘adharma’ shown as darkened figures wearing dharma emblems—moral inversion motif.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: top band ‘dharma-buddhyā adharma-grahaṇa’, bottom band ‘ātman–manas viveka’; fine lines, readable symbolic labels.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court intrigue: flattering courtiers mislead the king; a lone scholar presents a manuscript; expressive faces showing confusion vs discernment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तैर् अपण्डितैः = तैः + अपण्डितैः; मनसश् चैव = मनसः + च + एव; संयोगञ्च = संयोगम् + च
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165.8 (need for correct definitions); Agni Purana 165.10 (liberation via mind’s vṛtti-nirodha and Self-unification)
FAQs
It imparts niti-vidya (ethical discernment): the practical warning that ignorance can rebrand adharma as dharma and distort key philosophical distinctions such as Self versus mind.
It blends governance-oriented ethics (niti/rajadharma) with philosophical analysis (Atman–manas discrimination), showing how the Agni Purana integrates moral, social, and metaphysical instruction in one corpus.
Mistaking adharma for dharma leads to wrong action under a false moral banner, producing harmful karma; correct discernment purifies intention and aligns conduct with true dharma.