Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 14
Ṣāḍguṇya — The Six Measures of Foreign Policy
with Rāja-maṇḍala Theory
एर्तैः सन्धिं न कुर्वीत विगृह्णीयात्तु केबलं परस्परापकारेण पुंसां भवति विग्रहः
ertaiḥ sandhiṃ na kurvīta vigṛhṇīyāttu kebalaṃ parasparāpakāreṇa puṃsāṃ bhavati vigrahaḥ
Com pessoas assim não se deve firmar aliança (sandhi); antes, deve-se adotar apenas a postura de hostilidade (vigraha). Pois entre os homens o conflito surge do dano mútuo e das faltas cometidas reciprocamente.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Diplomatic screening: avoid treaties with consistently harmful actors; adopt deterrence/containment when reciprocity is absent.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Asandhi with Apakarin (No-alliance with injurers)","lookup_keywords":["sandhi","vigraha","apakara","diplomacy","enemy-policy"],"quick_summary":"Do not conclude alliances with parties whose conduct is rooted in mutual harm; such relations naturally generate conflict. Use a posture of vigraha (hostility/pressure) instead of sandhi (treaty)."}
Concept: Reciprocity and non-maleficence as prerequisites for alliance; harm begets conflict.
Application: In governance and personal dealings, avoid binding agreements with those who repeatedly violate trust; prefer protective distance and measured opposition.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Diplomacy and Statecraft: Sandhi–Vigraha and inter-polity conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in council rejects a treaty scroll offered by a deceitful envoy; ministers advise adopting vigraha, with symbols of guarded borders and watchtowers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, royal court scene, stylized king with ministers, an envoy holding a palm-leaf treaty, king gestures refusal, warm earthy palette, ornate jewelry, flat perspective, decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated king on throne with gold-leaf halo-like arch, ministers at sides, envoy presenting treaty scroll, king’s hand raised in refusal, rich reds and greens, heavy gold work, embossed ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, detailed court interior, subtle shading, king consulting a niti text, envoy and guards, emphasis on gesture of rejecting alliance, delicate linework and muted colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate durbar, fine textiles, envoy with document, king and wazir conferring, architectural backdrop with jali screens, precise detailing, restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विगृह्णीयात्तु = विगृह्णीयात् + तु; परस्परापकारेण = परस्पर + अपकारेण; (एर्तैः पाठे सम्भाव्यः ‘एतैः’).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 239 (Rajadharma: sandhi–vigraha); Agni Purana sections on dandaniti and niti-lakshana
FAQs
It teaches diplomatic statecraft (nīti): avoid treaties with unreliable or harmful parties and recognize that hostility typically grows from reciprocal harm.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied knowledge like rājadharma—practical guidance on alliance-making, conflict management, and political conduct.
It warns that mutual harm (apakāra) breeds further enmity, implying that reducing wrongdoing and injury is both ethically stabilizing and karmically prudent.