Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 64
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
पारजायिकचौरौ च मुञ्चतो दण्ड उत्तमः राजयानासनारोढुर्दण्ड उत्तमसाहसः
pārajāyikacaurau ca muñcato daṇḍa uttamaḥ rājayānāsanāroḍhurdaṇḍa uttamasāhasaḥ
जो परस्त्रीगामी व चोर यांना सोडून देतो, त्याच्यासाठी उत्तम (सर्वोच्च) दंड आहे. आणि जो राजयान किंवा राजासनावर आरोहण करतो, त्यास उत्तम साहस-दंड (अतिगंभीर दंड) आहे.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Sets deterrent penalties for officials who unlawfully release serious offenders and for unauthorized use of royal vehicles/seats—protecting custody, hierarchy, and symbols of sovereignty.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Highest Penalties: Releasing Felons; Usurping Royal Conveyance/Seat","lookup_keywords":["parajayika","chaura","muncati","rajayana","sahasa-danda"],"quick_summary":"Freeing an adulterer or thief attracts the highest penalty; mounting the king’s conveyance/seat is punished with the gravest class of sāhasa fine, guarding royal prerogatives and public order."}
Concept: Authority must not be abused: custody of criminals and royal insignia are inviolable; violating them destabilizes dharma and rajya.
Application: Implement strict protocols for prisoner release and access control to royal property; treat symbolic usurpation as a serious public offense.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Criminal law, fines, and penalties)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A constable secretly releasing a bound thief/adulterer at night, contrasted with a brazen offender climbing onto the king’s chariot or sitting on the royal throne, while ministers react in alarm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, palace gateway at night with guards untying a prisoner, and a separate panel of a man stepping onto a royal chariot near the throne hall, bold outlines, stylized flames/lamps, dramatic gestures.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, king’s throne and chariot rendered with gold embossing, offender depicted touching the royal seat, ministers with raised hands, rich ornamentation, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative split-scene: (1) unlawful release of prisoner with keys and shackles, (2) unauthorized mounting of royal conveyance, fine linework, muted elegance, didactic labeling feel.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed palace courtyard with chariot, guards, and a culprit climbing up, while another scene shows a jailer bribed to release a prisoner, intricate textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पारजायिकचौरौ = pārajāyika-caurau (dvandva, dual); राजयानासनारोढुर्दण्ड = rāja-yāna-āsana-āroḍhuḥ daṇḍaḥ (visarga sandhi); उत्तमसाहसः = uttama-sāhasaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (danda gradations; sāhasa fines context)
FAQs
It imparts daṇḍa-nīti (penal jurisprudence): releasing serious offenders (adulterer, thief) and unlawfully using royal conveyances/seats attracts the severest class of punishment, including the highest sāhasa-fine.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—codifying crimes, graded fines (sāhasa), and protections around royal insignia—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and legal norms.
By enforcing strict penalties for enabling crime and for violating royal authority, the text frames social order (dharma) as a moral duty; complicity in wrongdoing is treated as a heavy karmic fault requiring strong corrective punishment.