Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 55
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
समुत्सृजेद्राजमार्गे यस्त्वमेध्यमनापदि स हि कार्षापणन्दण्ड्यस्तममेध्यञ्च शोधयेत्
samutsṛjedrājamārge yastvamedhyamanāpadi sa hi kārṣāpaṇandaṇḍyastamamedhyañca śodhayet
योऽनापदि राजमार्गे अमेध्यं समुत्सृजेत्, स कार्षापणदण्ड्यः; तदमेध्यं च शोधयेत्॥
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instruction sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Municipal sanitation enforcement: fine for public defilement of highways and mandatory cleanup; supports public health and civic order.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Fine for defiling the king’s highway and compulsory cleaning","lookup_keywords":["raja-marga","amedhya","karshapana-danda","shodhana","anapadi"],"quick_summary":"Defiling a public road without necessity incurs a fixed monetary fine and an obligation to remove the filth—combining punishment with restitution."}
Concept: Śauca (cleanliness) as civic dharma enforced by the state; wrongdoing requires both penalty and rectification.
Application: Adopt bylaws: fines plus mandatory cleanup/community service for sanitation violations.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma (Law, civic order, and penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: Public road
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A city street (king’s highway) where an offender is fined by an official and made to clean the filth under supervision.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, stylized street with palace wall, official holding palm-leaf record, offender cleaning with water pot and broom, strong outlines, earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, civic scene with decorative borders, official seated with coin (kārṣāpaṇa) depicted, gold accents on attire, offender cleaning the road, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional civic tableau: road, sign of rāja-mārga, officer assessing fine, offender performing cleaning; soft colors and fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar road, municipal officer collecting fine, offender cleaning near roadside, detailed textiles and architecture, naturalistic perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समुत्सृजेद्राजमार्गे = समुत्सृजेत् + राजमार्गे; यस्त्व = यः + तु; अमेध्यञ्च = अमेध्यम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (civic offenses and fines)
FAQs
It gives a practical rājadharma rule: defiling a public road with impurity (amedhya) without necessity incurs a fixed monetary fine and an obligation to remove/clean the impurity.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves civic-law material—public sanitation, fines, and enforcement—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and social regulation.
Maintaining śauca (cleanliness) in shared spaces prevents aśauca (pollution) that can obstruct ritual purity; the fine and mandatory cleaning act as both social deterrent and a corrective purification.