Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 20
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
द्विगुणं त्रिगुणं वापि नगरस्य च कल्पयेत् वृतिं तत्र प्रकुर्वीत यामुष्ट्रो नावलोकयेत्
dviguṇaṃ triguṇaṃ vāpi nagarasya ca kalpayet vṛtiṃ tatra prakurvīta yāmuṣṭro nāvalokayet
नगरस्य वृतिं द्विगुणां त्रिगुणां वा कल्पयेत्। तत्र रक्षावृतिं तथा प्रकुर्वीत यथा उष्ट्रोऽपि नावलोकयेत्।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Town-planning guidance for fortification: set rampart/wall perimeter proportion (double/triple) and height sufficient to prevent visual oversight even by a camel—improving defense and privacy.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Design of town enclosure: doubled/tripled perimeter and high rampart","lookup_keywords":["nagara-vinyasa","vrtti (enclosure)","rampart height","fortification","camel cannot look over"],"quick_summary":"Plan the town’s enclosing works at twice or thrice the base measure and build a defensive wall/rampart so high that even a camel cannot see over—an applied rule for secure urban design."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti (hyperbolic standard: even a camel cannot look over)
Concept: Measured design (pramana) and defensive foresight are part of righteous governance.
Application: Use as a planning heuristic for walls, ramparts, and sightline denial in fortified settlements.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra / Nagarādi-vinyāsa (Town-planning and Fortification)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Architects and engineers lay out a town plan with a doubled/tripled perimeter; workers raise a massive rampart so tall that a camel outside cannot see into the city.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized city ringed by tall ochre ramparts, architects with measuring cords, a camel outside craning its neck but blocked, bold flat colors and decorative foliage.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: fortified town with gleaming gold-highlighted walls, central architect holding measuring staff, camel at the base of the wall, ornate borders emphasizing prosperity and protection.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: technical scene with plan-view diagram cues, builders layering bricks/earthworks, clear depiction of wall height relative to camel, fine linework and muted palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed fort wall construction with scaffolding, camel and handlers outside, surveyors with ropes and rods, panoramic cityscape beyond the rampart."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāpi = vā + api; nāvalokayet = na + avalokayet; yāmuṣṭro read as yā + uṣṭraḥ (sandhi with u-).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Vastu: nagaradi-vinyasa; fortification measures)
FAQs
It gives a practical Vāstu/fortification rule: plan the city’s defensive perimeter (vṛti) at twice or three times the city’s measure and make the enclosure high enough that even a camel cannot see over it—an operational height benchmark for walls/ramparts.
Beyond theology, it preserves applied civic science—urban planning and military architecture—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s scope across governance, security, and construction norms alongside ritual and dharma topics.
By prescribing orderly, protective city design, it aligns kingship and settlement-building with dharma: safeguarding inhabitants is treated as a righteous duty, and proper construction becomes part of sustaining social and moral order.