Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 7
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
नेता दण्डस्य निपुणः कृतशिल्पपरिग्रहः पराभियोगप्रसहः सर्वदुष्टप्रतिक्रिया
netā daṇḍasya nipuṇaḥ kṛtaśilpaparigrahaḥ parābhiyogaprasahaḥ sarvaduṣṭapratikriyā
Носитель даṇḍa (управитель правосудия) должен быть искусен в даṇḍa (карательной дисциплине), обучен приобретённым практическим искусствам и правилам, способен выдерживать враждебные обвинения и преследования и умел в противодействии всякому виду злодеяния.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Judicial-administrative training: how a magistrate/daṇḍadhara should be educated, resilient to litigation/accusations, and prepared with preventive and corrective measures against crime and corruption.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Daṇḍadhara-lakṣaṇa (Qualities of the wielder of punishment)","lookup_keywords":["daṇḍa","daṇḍadhara","nīti","pratikriyā","dūṣṭa"],"quick_summary":"A justice-administrator must be technically skilled in penal discipline, broadly trained in practical arts, able to withstand hostile prosecutions, and ready with countermeasures against every form of wrongdoing."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as dharma-protecting discipline; competence and moral resilience as prerequisites for legitimate punishment.
Application: Design codes of conduct and training for judges/administrators: legal literacy, procedural robustness, anti-corruption safeguards, and calibrated sanctions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Law, and Statecraft)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court where a daṇḍadhara (chief magistrate) holds a staff of authority, consults trained aides, and confronts petitioners and accusers while ordering measured counteractions against criminals.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, a seated king and daṇḍadhara with daṇḍa-staff, orderly court attendants, criminals restrained, emphasis on dharma and discipline, traditional ornaments and stylized faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central daṇḍadhara with staff and palm-leaf records, gold-leaf halo-like arch, rich textiles, symmetrical court composition, moral authority theme.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, detailed instructional court scene: magistrate reviewing charges, scribes, guards, clear depiction of procedures and countermeasures, soft shading and fine lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intricate court interior, magistrate with staff, litigants presenting accusations, guards and clerks, meticulous architectural detail, restrained palette and fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समास-रूपाणि: कृतशिल्पपरिग्रहः = कृत-शिल्प-परिग्रहः; पराभियोगप्रसहः = पर-अभियोग-प्रसहः; सर्वदुष्टप्रतिक्रिया = सर्व-दुष्ट-प्रतिक्रिया।
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma/Nīti sections on daṇḍa, amātya-guṇa, and sadācāra (adjacent verses in 238)
FAQs
It imparts daṇḍanīti (the technical science of punishment and governance): the justice-administrator must be trained, legally resilient against adversarial charges, and able to apply effective countermeasures to wrongdoing.
Beyond myth and ritual, the Agni Purana systematizes practical statecraft—qualifications for officials, legal robustness, and public-order strategy—showing its coverage of polity and jurisprudence alongside religious topics.
Upholding just punishment and restraining the wicked is treated as dharmic governance: it protects social order, reduces adharma, and supports the ruler/administrator’s merit through righteous protection of subjects.