Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 3
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
ग्रामे दोषान् समुत्पन्नान् ग्रामेशः प्रसमं नयेत् अशक्तो दशपालस्य स तु गत्वा निवेदयेत्
grāme doṣān samutpannān grāmeśaḥ prasamaṃ nayet aśakto daśapālasya sa tu gatvā nivedayet
गावात दोष/अपराध उत्पन्न झाल्यास ग्रामेशाने त्यांचा निपटारा करावा. तो असमर्थ असल्यास दशपालाकडे जाऊन निवेदन करावे.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Establish a dispute/offence escalation ladder: village head resolves local faults; if incapable, reports upward to the ten-village officer; ensures timely justice and administrative clarity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Grāma-doṣa Praśamana and Reporting to Daśapāla","lookup_keywords":["grāme doṣāḥ","grāmeśa","praśamana","daśapāla","nivedana"],"quick_summary":"Local disorders should be settled at the lowest competent level; unresolved matters must be escalated to the next authority. This prevents both neglect and over-centralization."}
Concept: Justice is a graded responsibility: each level must act within competence and seek higher aid when necessary; dharma is preserved by timely resolution and truthful reporting.
Application: Create clear thresholds for what the village head can adjudicate; mandate written reports for escalations; set response times to prevent delay-based injustice.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Law, and Administration)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Raudra
Type: Village/District
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village head mediates a dispute among villagers; in a second moment, he approaches the daśapāla with a respectful report when the case exceeds his power.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, village assembly under a tree, grāmeśa seated with elders, disputants standing; adjacent vignette of grāmeśa walking to a small administrative outpost to meet daśapāla","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, village justice scene with gold accents on the headman’s seat and insignia; second panel shows formal reporting to a higher officer, rich ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear procedural narrative: mediation circle, then reporting with palm-leaf document, emphasis on civic order and roles","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, rural setting with detailed costumes and landscape; headman hearing parties, then presenting a written petition to the daśapāla in a modest office"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: grāmeśaḥ → grāma-īśaḥ; (no major other sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Adhyāya 222 (hierarchy of officers and their functions)
FAQs
It imparts administrative procedure (rāja-dharma): village-level dispute/offence resolution by the grāmeśa, with escalation to the daśapāla when local capacity is insufficient.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also codifies practical statecraft—here, a tiered rural governance structure and reporting protocol, aligning it with dharmaśāstra-style civil administration.
By ensuring timely pacification of disputes and proper reporting, a ruler’s agents uphold dharma and social order; maintaining dharma is treated as a merit-bearing duty that prevents communal harm and adharma from spreading.