Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 52
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
ग्रामेष्वपि च ये केचिच्चौराणां भक्तदायकाः भाण्डारकोषदाश् चैव सर्वांस्तानपि घातयेत्
grāmeṣvapi ca ye keciccaurāṇāṃ bhaktadāyakāḥ bhāṇḍārakoṣadāś caiva sarvāṃstānapi ghātayet
ഗ്രാമങ്ങളിലും കള്ളന്മാർക്ക് ആഹാരവും ആശ്രയവും നൽകി പോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്നവർ, കൂടാതെ ഭണ്ഡാരവും രാജകോശവും കൊള്ളയടിക്കുന്നവർ—അവരെയെല്ലാം രാജാവ് മരണശിക്ഷയ്ക്ക് വിധിക്കണം।
Lord Agni (instructing on rajadharma/dandaniti)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Internal security and anti-banditry: treat logistical support to thieves and treasury/storehouse plunder as capital crimes to break criminal networks.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Capital punishment for aiding thieves and plundering treasury/storehouses","lookup_keywords":["chora","thief support","kosa","bhandara","village security"],"quick_summary":"Not only thieves but also their village-level suppliers and those who raid storehouses/treasury are prescribed death, aiming to dismantle the supply chain of crime."}
Weapon Type: Sword/Spear (implied policing and execution)
Concept: Collective harm crimes (supporting theft, raiding public stores) are treated as attacks on the common good; daṇḍa protects prajā.
Application: Modern analogue: penalize not only direct offenders but also financiers/suppliers; secure public warehouses and audit treasury access.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance, law, and punishment)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Village
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village scene where hidden supporters feed thieves; a raid on the royal storehouse/treasury is uncovered; the king’s officers arrest the entire ring for capital punishment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: village huts, thieves receiving food secretly, royal guards discovering stolen goods near a granary/treasury, bold outlines and dramatic confrontation","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: stylized granary and treasury chest with gold accents; guards presenting recovered goods to the king; strong icon-like figures and ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional policing scene—watchmen, inventory lists, sealed storehouse doors, captured accomplices; precise detailing and narrative clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: night raid near a storehouse with lantern light, detailed village architecture, guards apprehending accomplices, fine textures and dynamic composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ग्रामेष्वपि = ग्रामेषु + अपि (उ + अ → व). केचिच्चौराणां = केचित् + चौराणाम् (त् + च → च्च). सर्वांस्तानपि = सर्वान् + तान् + अपि (न् + त → ंस्; then तानपि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (crime and punishment sequence)
FAQs
This verse conveys dandaniti (statecraft/punitive jurisprudence): the king must punish not only thieves but also their supporters (those who supply provisions) and those who plunder state storehouses and the treasury.
It shows the Agni Purana functioning as a governance manual alongside its religious material—covering criminal categories (accomplices, economic crimes) and prescribing state enforcement to protect public order and royal revenue.
By treating support of theft and plunder of public wealth as grave wrongdoing, the text frames royal punishment as a dharmic duty: restraining adharma to prevent wider social harm and collective karmic decline.