Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 26
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
भीष्माच्छान्तनवाच्छ्रुत्वा धर्मान् सर्वांश् च शान्तिदाम् राजधर्मान्मोक्षधर्मान्दानधर्मान् नृपो ऽभवत्
bhīṣmācchāntanavācchrutvā dharmān sarvāṃś ca śāntidām rājadharmānmokṣadharmāndānadharmān nṛpo 'bhavat
शांतनुपुत्र भीष्मांकडून शांती देणारे सर्व धर्म—राजधर्म, मोक्षधर्म व दानधर्म—ऐकून राजा धर्मात दृढपणे प्रतिष्ठित झाला।
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic/Itihāsa-based dharma instruction in summary form)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Training a ruler (or administrator) through śānti-oriented dharmas: rajadharma (governance), dāna (public welfare/redistribution), and mokṣadharma (ethical self-discipline) to stabilize society and personal conduct.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śāntidā Dharmas: Rājadharma–Mokṣadharma–Dānadharma","lookup_keywords":["rājadharma","mokṣadharma","dānadharma","Bhīṣma","śānti"],"quick_summary":"Peace-bearing dharma is presented as a triad: governance duties, liberative discipline, and charitable giving. A king becomes fit to rule by hearing and internalizing these teachings."}
Concept: Śānti (social and inner peace) arises from integrated practice of kingly duty, generosity, and liberative discipline.
Application: Use dharma-education as statecraft: codify fair rule, institutionalize dāna/welfare, and cultivate personal restraint to prevent tyranny and social unrest.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Mokshadharma (Dharma-shastra / Governance and Liberation Teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king sits respectfully before Bhīṣma (on a bed of arrows in the Mahābhārata memory), receiving instruction on rājadharma, mokṣadharma, and dāna as peace-bestowing teachings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Bhīṣma as aged teacher with serene face, king seated with folded hands, palm-leaf manuscripts, warm earth pigments, stylized lotuses, calm śānta mood, minimal battlefield cues","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central enthroned king listening to Bhīṣma, gold-leaf halo accents, ornate textiles, symbolic triad icons (scales for justice, alms vessel, meditation seat), rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional court scene with labeled elements: rājadharma scroll, dāna pot, mokṣa meditation diagram; delicate linework, soft shading, scholarly ambience","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate durbar-like teaching session, Bhīṣma as venerable counselor, attendants with manuscripts, fine architectural backdrop, subdued palette, emphasis on dialogue and gesture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhīṣmācchāntanavācchrutvā = bhīṣmāt śāntanavāt śrutvā; sarvāṃś ca = sarvān ca; rājadharmān mokṣadharmān dānadharmān are accusative plurals; nṛpo 'bhavat = nṛpaḥ abhavat.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma sections (king’s duties, punishment, ministers); Agni Purana: Dāna-dharma passages (gift-types, recipients, merits); Agni Purana: Mokṣa/adhyātma passages (vairāgya, jñāna, śama-dama)
FAQs
It classifies dharma into three applied domains—rājadharma (statecraft and kingly duties), dānadharma (regulated charity), and mokṣadharma (liberation-oriented discipline)—as the peace-producing framework a ruler should learn and embody.
By compressing multiple knowledge streams into a single dharma-map—governance ethics, charitable economy, and soteriology—it exemplifies how the Agni Purana links practical administration with religious merit and ultimate liberation.
Hearing and adopting these dharmas is presented as śānti-prada (peace-giving): rājadharma stabilizes society, dāna purifies and accrues merit, and mokṣadharma directs that merit toward liberation-oriented transformation.