Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Chapter 233 — Ṣāḍguṇya (The Six Measures of Royal Policy) and Foreign Daṇḍa
अनर्थायानुबन्धः स्यात् सन्धिना च तथा भवेत् सामलब्धास्पदञ्चात्र दानञ्चार्थक्षयङ्करं
anarthāyānubandhaḥ syāt sandhinā ca tathā bhavet sāmalabdhāspadañcātra dānañcārthakṣayaṅkaraṃ
ସନ୍ଧି ଦ୍ୱାରା ଅନର୍ଥର ଶୃଙ୍ଖଳା ହୋଇପାରେ; ଶାନ୍ତି-ସନ୍ଧି ଦ୍ୱାରା ମଧ୍ୟ ତେଣୁ ହୋଇପାରେ। ଏଠାରେ, ସାମ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଦୃଢ଼ ଆଧାର ନ ମିଳିଲେ, ଦାନ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅର୍ଥକ୍ଷୟକର ହୁଏ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Warns rulers about the hidden costs of alliances, peace treaties, and indiscriminate gifting; emphasizes securing concrete strategic footing before concessions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Risks of Sandhi and Unsecured Dāna (Costly Concessions)","lookup_keywords":["sandhi","dāna","anartha-anubandha","arthakṣaya","sāma"],"quick_summary":"Peace and alliances can trigger cascading harms; gifts that do not secure a stable advantage become mere resource-drain."}
Concept: Consequential thinking (anubandha-darśana): policies must be judged by long chains of effects, not immediate relief.
Application: Treaties and aid should be conditional and outcome-based; ensure enforceability and strategic anchoring before concessions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Statecraft: diplomacy, gifts, and alliances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diplomatic hall where envoys offer a treaty; the king weighs a chest of coins against a map, indicating that gifts without leverage cause depletion; shadowy consequences appear as a chain behind the treaty scroll.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king and envoys with treaty scroll; a treasury chest shown diminishing in successive small panels (anartha-anubandha); stylized chain motif behind the scroll; vivid reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate court with gold leaf; treaty scroll and gift trays in foreground; the king’s hand pauses over the gifts; symbolic balance scale with coins and a fort icon to show 'firm footing' requirement.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic scene with labeled objects—sandhi-patra, dāna, kośa (treasury); a clear visual of resource depletion if no strategic gain; fine linework and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: negotiation scene with envoys; meticulous depiction of coin trays and documents; marginal mini-scenes show downstream troubles from a bad alliance, painted as sequential vignettes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: anarthāya + anubandhaḥ → anarthāyānubandhaḥ; sāma + labdha-āspadam + ca + atra → sāmalabdhāspadañ cātra; dānam + ca + artha... → dānañ cārthakṣayakaraṃ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on sandhi-vigraha and the four upāyas; Agni Purana counsel on treasury protection and state resources
FAQs
It imparts niti-vidya (political strategy): alliances and peace-treaties can create ongoing entanglements, and gifts/tributes are strategically sound only when they secure a concrete foothold; otherwise they drain the treasury.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves practical governance doctrine—here, a concise rule of diplomacy and fiscal prudence—showing its wide coverage of rajadharma and political science.
It frames righteous rule as disciplined and non-wasteful: a king should avoid actions that generate avoidable harm and impoverishment, since misrule and reckless expenditure are treated as adharma with harmful consequences for the realm.