Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 43
Adhyaya 223 — Rājadharmāḥ
Royal Duties: Inner Palace Governance, Trivarga Protection, Courtly Conduct, and Aromatic/Hygienic Sciences
न स्वपेत् स्त्रीगृहे रात्रौ विश्वासः कृत्रिमो भवेत्
na svapet strīgṛhe rātrau viśvāsaḥ kṛtrimo bhavet
ညအခါ မိန်းမ၏အိမ်တွင် မအိပ်သင့်၊ ထိုသို့သောအခြေအနေတွင် ယုံကြည်မှုသည် အတုအယောင်ဖြစ်၍ မယုံကြည်ထိုက်နိုင်သည်။
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Prudential conduct rule for personal safety and reputation management within social-legal norms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Nīti rule: Avoid sleeping in a woman’s house at night","lookup_keywords":["nīti","strī-gṛha","rātri","aviśvāsa","ācāra"],"quick_summary":"The verse gives a concise cautionary maxim: do not stay overnight in a woman’s house, as situational trust may be unreliable and lead to risk or accusation."}
Concept: Ācāra as preventive ethics: avoiding contexts that generate suspicion, conflict, or harm.
Application: Personal conduct guideline for officials, students, and householders to reduce legal/social vulnerability and maintain public trust.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Conduct, social ethics, prudential counsel)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A traveler or official declines lodging at night in a woman’s house, choosing instead a public rest-house; the night setting emphasizes caution.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; moonlit street, a man respectfully stepping back from a doorway where a woman stands; a public dharmaśālā visible nearby; bold outlines, subdued night tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore; symbolic composition with gold moon and ornate doorway; the man gestures refusal and turns toward a lit rest-house; rich costume detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore; instructional scene with clear narrative: ‘avoid night stay’ shown by sign-like cues (moon, closed door, safe lodging); delicate linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; nocturnal courtyard with lanterns; the man departs politely; architectural detail and careful facial expressions conveying prudence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: strīgṛhe = strī-gṛhe.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 223 (nīti counsel around strī-rakṣā)
FAQs
It imparts Nīti-vidyā (practical prudence): avoid situations that invite suspicion, false confidence, or social/ethical complications—here, specifically, staying overnight in a woman’s household.
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also compiles governance and conduct literature (Rājadharma/Nīti), giving practical rules for social behavior and risk-avoidance alongside its many other disciplines.
By avoiding morally ambiguous or reputation-risking contexts, one reduces occasions for misconduct, slander, and resulting pāpa (demerit), supporting dharmic living and mental purity.