Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 6
Chapter 166: वर्णधर्मादिकथनं
Exposition of Varṇa-Dharma and Related Topics
स त्रेधा मन्त्रयागाद्यदृष्टार्थ इति मानवाः उभयार्थो व्यवहारस्तु दण्डधारणमेव च
sa tredhā mantrayāgādyadṛṣṭārtha iti mānavāḥ ubhayārtho vyavahārastu daṇḍadhāraṇameva ca
तो (मानवी प्रयत्न) तीन प्रकारचा—मंत्रजप, याग-पूजा इत्यादी; हे ‘अदृष्टार्थ’ (अदृश्य फलासाठी) असे लोक म्हणतात. पण व्यवहार (न्यायप्रक्रिया) उभयार्थ साधतो, तसेच दंडधारण (दंडाची अंमलबजावणी)ही.
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Differentiate actions aimed at unseen merit (adr̥ṣṭa)—mantra and yajña—from institutions that serve both worldly order and moral merit—vyavahāra (legal procedure) and daṇḍa (punishment).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Threefold Aims: Adr̥ṣṭārtha, Ubhyārtha, and Daṇḍa","lookup_keywords":["adr̥ṣṭārtha","mantra","yāga","vyavahāra","daṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Ritual acts like mantra and sacrifice target unseen results, while law and punishment secure both visible social order and invisible dharmic merit by sustaining justice."}
Concept: Human pursuits divide by result: unseen (adr̥ṣṭa) via ritual, and dual (ubhaya) via jurisprudence and punishment; dharma is upheld through both sacred rite and public justice.
Application: Maintain ritual life for inner merit, but institutionalize fair courts and proportionate punishment to protect society and accrue dharmic legitimacy.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra—threefold aims of human conduct and statecraft)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Court/Polity
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Split tableau: on one side a priest recites mantra and performs yajña; on the other side a judge and king administer vyavahāra and daṇḍa, showing dual aims of governance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych: left—fire altar, ṛtviks chanting, offerings; right—king with scepter, judge with palm-leaf records, litigants present; bold contours, symbolic flames, balanced composition conveying dharma.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central golden yajña-kuṇḍa with priests, adjacent gilded throne scene of king holding daṇḍa (staff), ornate halos, rich reds, embossed gold emphasizing sacred and royal authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional split-panel with labels ‘adr̥ṣṭa: mantra/yāga’ and ‘ubhaya: vyavahāra/daṇḍa’, fine linework, minimal background for didactic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ritual scene with smoke and offerings contrasted with a courtroom scene, naturalistic faces, architectural depth, scribes recording testimony, subtle color gradations."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्त्रयागाद्यदृष्टार्थ = मन्त्र-याग-आदि + अदृष्टार्थः; व्यवहारस्तु = व्यवहारः + तु; दण्डधारणमेव = दण्ड-धारणम् + एव
Related Themes: Agni Purana rajadharma chapters on daṇḍa-nīti; Agni Purana dharma sections on yajña and mantra
FAQs
It distinguishes adr̥ṣṭa-oriented acts (mantra, sacrifice) from vyavahāra and daṇḍadhāraṇa, framing judicial governance as a discipline that yields both practical social order (dṛṣṭa) and religious merit (adr̥ṣṭa).
Alongside ritual topics, it explicitly teaches Dharmaśāstra-style jurisprudence and political theory—showing the Purana’s coverage of law courts, governance, and punishment as part of comprehensive civilizational knowledge.
By presenting just governance and the maintenance of daṇḍa as ubhayārtha, it implies that upholding justice is not only socially necessary but also a dharmic act generating karmic merit.