Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 19
Chapter 233 — Ṣāḍguṇya (The Six Measures of Royal Policy) and Foreign Daṇḍa
विग्रहेण स्वके देशे स्थितिरासनमुच्यते बलार्धेन प्रयाणन्तु द्वैधीभावः स उच्यते
vigraheṇa svake deśe sthitirāsanamucyate balārdhena prayāṇantu dvaidhībhāvaḥ sa ucyate
विग्रहे सति स्वके देशे स्थितिरासनमुच्यते; बलार्धेन प्रयाणं तु द्वैधीभावः स उच्यते।
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Guidance on when to hold position during war and how to execute a divided-force policy (partial advance) to manage risk and uncertainty.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Āsana and Dvaidhībhāva in Wartime","lookup_keywords":["āsana","dvaidhībhāva","vigraha","balārdha","sthiti"],"quick_summary":"During hostilities, staying within one’s territory is ‘āsana’; advancing with only half the army is ‘dvaidhībhāva’, a split-deployment policy."}
Concept: Prudence in force-commitment: not every war demands full mobilization; posture and reserves are strategic instruments.
Application: Use āsana to consolidate and deter; use dvaidhībhāva to probe, pressure, or respond while safeguarding the core territory.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Statecraft, Diplomacy, and the Six Measures of Foreign Policy)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A map-like scene: one half of the army marching toward the frontier while the other half remains guarding the capital/fort; the king indicates two directions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized fort and city on left with stationed troops, marching column on right, king and minister pointing to two paths, strong outlines and flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king under ornate arch, two army groups shown symmetrically—one at fort gates, one on march—gold-embossed banners and borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic battlefield diagram with labeled ‘Āsana’ near the fort and ‘Dvaidhībhāva’ near the marching half-force, fine linework and clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic landscape with capital fort, reserve troops inside, marching detachment with elephants and cavalry on road, detailed terrain and tents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्थितिरासनम्→स्थितिः+आसनम्; आसनमुच्यते→आसनम्+उच्यते; प्रयाणन्तु→प्रयाणम्+तु
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma: ṣāḍguṇya elaborations; bala (army) and durga (fort) discussions
FAQs
It teaches two technical categories of rāja-nīti (political science): āsana (holding position within one’s own realm during vigraha) and dvaidhībhāva (advancing with only part of the army, keeping forces divided).
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—precise definitions from classical diplomacy (shadgunya)—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and war-policy as well as religious teaching.
By prescribing restrained and calculated action for rulers, it supports dharmic kingship—minimizing needless violence and protecting subjects—thereby aligning political conduct with righteous duty (dharma).