Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
अधर्मो धर्मबुद्ध्या तु गृहीतस्तैर् अपण्डितैः आत्मनो मनसश् चैव संयोगञ्च तथा परे
adharmo dharmabuddhyā tu gṛhītastair apaṇḍitaiḥ ātmano manasaś caiva saṃyogañca tathā pare
अपण्डितैस्तु अधर्मो धर्मबुद्ध्या गृहीतः। ते च आत्मनः मनसश्च यथार्थसंयोगं तथा परानपि तत्त्वान् विपर्यस्य गृह्णन्ति।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Identify and correct moral inversion (adharma mistaken as dharma) in governance and personal conduct; cultivate discernment about self–mind relation to avoid ethical and cognitive error.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Adharma mistaken as Dharma; confusion of Ātman–Manas relation","lookup_keywords":["adharma as dharma","apandita","ātman manas saṃyoga","mithyā-buddhi","nīti"],"quick_summary":"The verse warns that the unlearned mislabel unrighteousness as righteousness and misunderstand inner principles like Self and mind. Ethical failure is tied to cognitive confusion."}
Concept: Viparyaya (inversion) in ethical judgment and metaphysical understanding leads to adharma; right knowledge (pāṇḍitya/viveka) is protective of dharma.
Application: In policy and personal life, test ‘dharma’ claims against śāstra, sadācāra, and consequences; in sādhanā, separate witness-Self from mind to prevent rationalizing wrongdoing.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Niti-shastra (Ethics, Misrule, and Moral Discernment)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A court or assembly where misguided advisors label a dark act as ‘dharma’, while a discerning sage points to the true path; in the background, a subtle depiction of Self as lamp and mind as flickering flame to show confusion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal sabhā scene with stylized ministers; one group holding a scroll marked ‘dharma’ over a shadowy act; a rishi with calm gesture of correction; strong narrative clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central figure of a sage (guru) with gold halo, pointing to a dharma-śāstra palm-leaf; on side panels, ‘adharma’ shown as darkened figures wearing dharma emblems—moral inversion motif.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: top band ‘dharma-buddhyā adharma-grahaṇa’, bottom band ‘ātman–manas viveka’; fine lines, readable symbolic labels.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court intrigue: flattering courtiers mislead the king; a lone scholar presents a manuscript; expressive faces showing confusion vs discernment."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तैर् अपण्डितैः = तैः + अपण्डितैः; मनसश् चैव = मनसः + च + एव; संयोगञ्च = संयोगम् + च
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165.8 (need for correct definitions); Agni Purana 165.10 (liberation via mind’s vṛtti-nirodha and Self-unification)
FAQs
It imparts niti-vidya (ethical discernment): the practical warning that ignorance can rebrand adharma as dharma and distort key philosophical distinctions such as Self versus mind.
It blends governance-oriented ethics (niti/rajadharma) with philosophical analysis (Atman–manas discrimination), showing how the Agni Purana integrates moral, social, and metaphysical instruction in one corpus.
Mistaking adharma for dharma leads to wrong action under a false moral banner, producing harmful karma; correct discernment purifies intention and aligns conduct with true dharma.