Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 70
Rājanīti (Statecraft): Ṣaḍvidha-bala, Vyūha-vidhāna, and Strategic Warfare
विपर्ययो ऽमरः प्रोक्तः सर्वशत्रुविमर्दकः स्यात् कक्षपक्षोरस्यानामेकीभावस्तु मण्डलः
viparyayo 'maraḥ proktaḥ sarvaśatruvimardakaḥ syāt kakṣapakṣorasyānāmekībhāvastu maṇḍalaḥ
विपर्ययः ‘अमर’ इति प्रोक्तः, स सर्वशत्रुविमर्दकः। कक्षपक्षोरस्यानाम् एकीभावस्तु ‘मण्डल’ इति कथ्यते।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Terminology for tactics: naming a reversal maneuver (viparyaya/amara) and defining maṇḍala as a unification/encirclement of front and wings for battlefield dominance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Viparyaya (Amara) and Maṇḍala (encircling formation)","lookup_keywords":["viparyaya","amara","mandala formation","sarva-shatru-vimardaka","kaksha-paksha-uras"],"quick_summary":"Defines ‘Viparyaya/Amara’ as a decisive reversal that crushes enemies, and ‘Maṇḍala’ as the formation created when flank, wing, and front merge into a single encircling body."}
Alamkara Type: Viparyaya (as a named technical term; also resonates with poetic ‘inversion’ though here tactical)
Concept: Saṃjñā (precise naming) enables saṃhati (coordination); unity of parts yields invincibility.
Application: Use standardized terms (‘amara’, ‘maṇḍala’) as battlefield code-words for quick execution.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas/Alankara-Nirukta: technical definitions of metrical and poetic terms)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A compact army closes its wings and front into a circular maṇḍala while executing a sudden viparyaya reversal that turns defense into attack.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural of troops forming a tight circle, stylized spears and bows radiating outward, commander at center, bold outlines, rhythmic repetition suggesting ‘maṇḍala’, dynamic reversal gesture","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore-style royal war council scene with gold-leafed circular formation diagram behind the king, soldiers arranged in a ring, emphasis on auspicious symmetry and authority","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional painting: labeled diagram of kakṣa/pakṣa/uras merging into maṇḍala, arrows showing viparyaya turn, clean composition, pedagogic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature showing a sudden battlefield reversal: one flank swings inward, forming a circle around enemy vanguard, meticulous detailing of faces, banners, and dust clouds"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऽमरः = अमरः (अकार-लोपः अवग्रहः); कक्षपक्षोरस्यानाम् = कक्ष-पक्ष-उरस्यानाम्; एकीभावस्-तु = एकीभावः तु।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 241 (definitions of gati, chāra, vyūha, maṇḍala and subtypes)
FAQs
It defines specialized terms—‘Viparyaya’ as the figure called ‘Amara’, and ‘Maṇḍala’ as the unified arrangement of flank, wing, and front—useful for correctly understanding and applying Agni Purana’s technical lexicon.
By preserving concise, dictionary-like definitions of technical terms (here, named figures/arrangements and a ‘maṇḍala’ configuration), the Agni Purana functions as a compendium spanning disciplines beyond narrative theology.
Accurate knowledge (yathārtha-jñāna) of scriptural technical terms is traditionally treated as meritorious because it prevents misapplication and supports correct practice and interpretation of dharma-oriented teachings.