Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 21
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
नश्येदविनयाद्राजा राज्यञ्च विनयाल्लभेत् त्रैविद्येभ्यस्त्रयीं विद्यां दण्डनीतिञ्च शाश्वतीं
naśyedavinayādrājā rājyañca vinayāllabhet traividyebhyastrayīṃ vidyāṃ daṇḍanītiñca śāśvatīṃ
Царь гибнет из-за отсутствия дисциплины; а благодаря дисциплине обретает владычество. У знатоков трёх Вед ему следует изучить тройственное ведийское знание, а также вечную данда-нити (daṇḍanīti) — науку управления посредством наказания.
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Leadership discipline (vinaya) as the basis of stable rule; formal education in Vedic learning and daṇḍanīti (penal governance) for kings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Vinaya and Daṇḍanīti as perennial royal science","lookup_keywords":["vinaya","daṇḍanīti","trai-vidya","rāja-śikṣā","discipline"],"quick_summary":"A king falls through indiscipline and gains sovereignty through discipline; he should learn Vedic knowledge from Vedic masters and the enduring science of punishment/governance (daṇḍanīti)."}
Concept: Vinaya (self-discipline) as royal dharma; daṇḍa as a righteous instrument when grounded in learning and restraint.
Application: Establish personal conduct codes for rulers; institutionalize education under learned teachers; create proportional punishment guidelines and review mechanisms.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance and Statecraft)
Primary Rasa: Veera
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined king studies with Vedic teachers (trai-vidya) and separately receives instruction in daṇḍanīti with symbols of law—staff (daṇḍa), scales, and court records.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel narrative: king seated before three Vedic teachers with palm-leaf manuscripts; second panel shows king holding a staff of justice, court scribes and guards, strong symmetrical composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with golden aura receiving blessings from Vedic gurus, ornate daṇḍa and dharma-scale rendered in gold leaf, temple-like arch framing the scene","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: labeled elements—‘trai-vidya’ manuscripts, ‘daṇḍa’ staff, court register—king in attentive posture, fine detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, madrasa-like court school setting with scholars, then a justice hall with the king presiding, meticulous textiles and manuscripts, restrained palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Raga Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नश्येदविनयाद्राजा = नश्येत् + अविनयात् + राजा; राज्यञ्च = राज्यम् + च; विनयाल्लभेत् = विनयात् + लभेत्; त्रैविद्येभ्यस्त्रयीं = त्रैविद्येभ्यः + त्रयीम्; दण्डनीतिञ्च = दण्ड-नीतिम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 224 (Dandaniti/Rajadharma)
FAQs
It prescribes two core competencies for rulers: (1) trayī-vidyā—Vedic learning under traividya (Veda-knowers), and (2) daṇḍanīti—the technical science of law, punishment, and governance used to maintain order.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana systematically includes practical disciplines like political theory and jurisprudence; this verse explicitly links Vedic education with administrative science (daṇḍanīti), showing the text’s broad, encyclopedic scope.
Vinaya (self-discipline) is presented as a dharmic safeguard: it preserves the king and the realm, while daṇḍanīti—rightly learned and applied—supports social order (dharma), reducing adharma and its karmic consequences.