Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 3
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
ताम्बूलधारी ना स्त्री वा भक्तः क्लेशसहप्रियः सान्धिविग्रहिकः कार्यः षाड्गुण्यादिविशारदः
tāmbūladhārī nā strī vā bhaktaḥ kleśasahapriyaḥ sāndhivigrahikaḥ kāryaḥ ṣāḍguṇyādiviśāradaḥ
ਸੰਧਿ-ਵਿਗ੍ਰਹਿਕ (ਸੰਧਿ ਅਤੇ ਯੁੱਧ ਦਾ ਮੰਤਰੀ) ਪੁਰਸ਼ ਹੋਵੇ—ਇਸਤਰੀ ਨਹੀਂ; ਉਹ ਤਾਮਬੂਲ ਧਾਰਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ, ਭਗਤ/ਨਿਸ਼ਠਾਵਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਕਲੇਸ਼ ਸਹਿਣ ਦਾ ਸ਼ੌਕੀਨ ਹੋਵੇ; ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਾਡਗੁਣ੍ਯ ਆਦਿ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਪੁਣ ਹੋਵੇ।
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Appointment criteria for the sandhi-vigrahika (minister handling peace/war): loyalty, hardship tolerance, constant readiness, and mastery of ṣāḍguṇya strategy for diplomacy and conflict management.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Sandhi-Vigrahika: Minister of Peace and War (Ṣāḍguṇya Expert)","lookup_keywords":["sandhi-vigraha","ṣāḍguṇya","mantrin","diplomacy","tāmbūla"],"quick_summary":"Specifies the profile of the peace-and-war minister: a loyal, hardship-enduring male official, marked as ever-ready (tāmbūla-dhārī), and trained in the sixfold foreign policy. Practical use: selecting and training strategic leadership for alliances and hostilities."}
Concept: State survival depends on disciplined strategic reasoning (ṣāḍguṇya) embodied in a dedicated office.
Application: Institutionalize foreign policy: appoint a specialist minister to continuously evaluate when to make peace, wage war, march, remain quiet, seek shelter, or pursue dual policy.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Statecraft and Diplomacy)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A strategic minister in council, holding a policy scroll with six headings (ṣāḍguṇya), while messengers and maps indicate ongoing peace/war decisions; betel pouch signifies constant readiness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: minister seated beside the king, holding palm-leaf manuscript with six policy terms, attendants with message scrolls, stylized map motifs, composed vigilant expressions, bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: minister with gold-highlighted manuscript and ornate betel box, king in profile listening, rich gold borders, ceremonial court setting emphasizing authority and strategy.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic scene—sixfold policy shown as a neat panel/scroll, minister pointing to items while advising, soft colors, fine linework, clarity of instructional content.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed council chamber with maps and dispatches, minister presenting a document with six measures, subtle gestures, realistic textiles and architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major sandhi; nā = na (negation) in context. ṣāḍguṇyādi = ṣāḍguṇya + ādi (etc.).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 220 (nīti and ministerial qualifications)
FAQs
It imparts niti-vidya (political science): qualifications for appointing a sandhi-vigrahika (diplomatic/foreign-affairs officer) who is trained in ṣāḍguṇya—the six classical measures of interstate policy.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana also codifies practical governance—ministerial selection, diplomacy, and war/peace management—showing its broad coverage of statecraft alongside ritual, dharma, and other sciences.
By prescribing competent, disciplined officials for peace and war, the text aligns kingship with dharma: right policy reduces needless harm, stabilizes society, and supports righteous order (dharma), which is treated as a merit-bearing duty of rule.