Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 29
Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti
व्ययीकृतः परिक्षिप्तो ऽप्रजितो ऽसञ्चितस् तथा दषितो दरसंस्थश् च कोषव्यसनमुच्यते
vyayīkṛtaḥ parikṣipto 'prajito 'sañcitas tathā daṣito darasaṃsthaś ca koṣavyasanamucyate
Diz-se que o tesouro está em “koṣavyasana” (calamidade do tesouro) quando: (i) foi gasto, (ii) foi esbanjado/esvaziado, (iii) não é aumentado (não gera receita), (iv) não é acumulado, (v) está corrompido ou maculado, e (vi) foi colocado com o “dara”, isto é, nas mãos de mulheres ou dependentes do lar.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s rajadharma material)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Treasury risk controls: identify fiscal failure modes—overspending, leakage, non-augmentation, non-saving, corruption, and improper custody—then implement audits and segregation of duties.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Koshavyasana: Six Calamities of the Treasury","lookup_keywords":["kosha","vyasana","vyaya","sanchaya","dushita"],"quick_summary":"A treasury is in calamity when it is spent away, squandered, not increased, not accumulated, corrupted, or kept in improper hands. Use as a diagnostic list for fiscal governance."}
Concept: Public wealth is a trust (kosha as rajadharma’s backbone); mismanagement is a moral and strategic calamity.
Application: Adopt rules for expenditure ceilings, revenue enhancement, reserves, anti-corruption enforcement, and proper custodianship.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Artha-shastra (Treasury administration and fiscal loss)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A treasury hall with open chests: coins scattered (spent/squandered), empty shelves (not accumulated), a corrupt official staining ledgers (tainted), and valuables moved into private quarters (improper custody).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized treasury room with palm-leaf ledgers, overflowing then emptied coin pots, an official secretly exchanging bags, symbolic labels for the six koshavyasanas, warm earth tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate treasury with gold-leaf borders on chests and pillars, contrasting scenes in panels showing waste, corruption, and improper custody, central figure of the king holding a balance scale of justice.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic ledger-and-chest composition, six compartments each illustrating one treasury fault, fine lines and soft colors for clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed accounting scene with scribes, coin-weighing, a hidden bribe exchange, and a noblewoman’s chamber receiving treasury bags, intricate textiles and architectural interiors."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: parikṣipto 'prajito 'sañcitas → parikṣiptaḥ + aprajitaḥ + asañcitaḥ (visarga elision before vowel); koṣavyasanamucyate → koṣa-vyasanam + ucyate.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma passages on taxation, expenditure, and officials; Agni Purana sections on punishment/daṇḍa for corruption (if present)
FAQs
It imparts practical statecraft (artha/rajadharma): identifying technical conditions that constitute ‘treasury calamity’—wasteful expenditure, dissipation, failure to grow revenue, failure to save, corruption, and improper custody of funds.
Beyond rituals and theology, the Agni Purana includes governance manuals; this verse gives a compact fiscal taxonomy of treasury failure, aligning the text with arthaśāstra-style administrative guidance.
Ethically, it frames mismanagement and corruption of public wealth as a harmful ‘vyasana’ (vice/calamity), implying that righteous rule includes disciplined stewardship and avoidance of greed, favoritism, and negligent custody.