Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 23
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
रागापरागौ भृत्यानां जनस्य च गुणागुणान् शुभानामशुभानाञ्च ज्ञानङ्कुर्याद्वशाय च
rāgāparāgau bhṛtyānāṃ janasya ca guṇāguṇān śubhānāmaśubhānāñca jñānaṅkuryādvaśāya ca
Para mantê-los sob domínio, deve apurar os apegos e aversões de seus servidores e do povo, e discernir seus méritos e faltas—o que é auspicioso e o que é inauspicioso.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Governance analytics: map loyalties, dislikes, virtues, and vices among servants and populace to manage incentives, discipline, and stability.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Assessment of Attachments, Aversions, and Merit-Fault for Control","lookup_keywords":["raga-aparaga","guna-aguna","shubha-ashubha","bhritiya","jana"],"quick_summary":"Effective rule requires knowing what people love/hate and their strengths/weaknesses; this enables calibrated rewards, restraints, and prevention of unrest."}
Concept: Raga-dvesha (attachment/aversion) and guna-dosha (merit/fault) assessment as a practical epistemology for governance.
Application: Build profiles for officials and communities; align policy with motivations; correct faults through training, incentives, and proportionate punishment.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, statecraft, espionage, and court administration)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Veera
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king reviews reports categorizing people by attachments and aversions; ministers present dossiers; scales or tally marks symbolize weighing virtues and faults; rewards and punishments are shown as balanced instruments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king with ministers holding palm-leaf reports, symbolic balance scale showing guna/aguna, groups of citizens depicted with different expressions (loyal, resentful), guards and treasurer indicating danda and dana, earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, king with gold-embellished ledger, ministers presenting scrolls, symbolic scale with gold highlights, citizens in two groups (shubha/ashubha), ornate court setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, analytical administrative scene: charts/tally marks on palm leaves, ministers pointing to categories raga/aparaga, calm instructional composition, fine linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court clerks presenting detailed registers, king conferring with wazir-like minister, allegorical scale of justice, citizens awaiting decisions, intricate textiles and architectural depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: rāgāparāgau = rāga + aparāgau (dvandva); guṇāguṇān = guṇa + aguṇān; śubhānāmaśubhānāñca = śubhānām + aśubhānām + ca; jñānaṅkuryādvaśāya = jñānam + kuryāt + vaśāya.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on danda-niti (punishment policy), amatyas’ testing, and public order measures
FAQs
It imparts practical rājadharma/daṇḍanīti: a ruler should profile servants and subjects by knowing their likes, dislikes, virtues, and vices to manage and govern effectively.
Beyond theology and ritual, it preserves political-administrative doctrine—methods of personnel assessment and social management—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s wide coverage of governance alongside religious instruction.
Right discernment of people’s qualities supports just rule; in rājadharma, such informed governance helps prevent harm and disorder, aligning the king’s actions with dharma and reducing sinful outcomes from misrule.