Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 24
Sahāya-sampattiḥ (Securing Support/Allies): Royal Appointments, Court Offices, Spies, and Personnel Ethics
अनुरागकरं कर्म चरेज्जह्माद्विरागजं जनानुरागया लक्ष्म्या राजा स्याज्जनरञ्जनात्
anurāgakaraṃ karma carejjahmādvirāgajaṃ janānurāgayā lakṣmyā rājā syājjanarañjanāt
அரசன் மக்களிடத்தில் அன்பை உண்டாக்கும் செயல்களைச் செய்ய வேண்டும்; நிலையற்ற மனமும் வைராக்யமும் பிறப்பிக்கும் செயல்களை விலக்க வேண்டும். மக்களின் நல்லெண்ணத்தால் எழும் லக்ஷ்மியால், ஜனரஞ்சனத்தினாலே அவன் உண்மையான அரசன் ஆவான்.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Public-facing governance: choose policies and personal conduct that build popular trust; avoid erratic, aloof, or cynical behavior that alienates subjects; treat legitimacy as arising from public satisfaction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Rājā as Janarañjaka (King as Delighter of the People)","lookup_keywords":["janarañjana","anurāga","rājadharma","loka-priya","lakṣmī"],"quick_summary":"Kingship is defined by sustaining public affection through consistent, beneficent action. Prosperity (lakṣmī) follows from winning goodwill rather than from coercion alone."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa (supporting maxim: prosperity arises from pleasing the people)
Concept: Legitimacy and prosperity are grounded in loka-saṅgraha: stable, affectionate bond between ruler and ruled; vairāgya-born neglect and fickleness corrode sovereignty.
Application: Adopt predictable justice, welfare measures, respectful communication, and visible accessibility; avoid impulsive punishments, contempt for subjects, and inconsistent policy shifts.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance and Kingship)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in open court listens to villagers, grants fair decisions and gifts, and is shown as approachable; prosperity symbols (grain, coins, Lakṣmī-emblems) appear as a result of public goodwill.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, frontal rājā on a low throne under a canopy, villagers with folded hands, warm earthy palette, stylized lotus motifs suggesting Lakṣmī, calm didactic mood, temple-court setting","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with ornate crown and jewelry, gold-leaf halo-like arch, attendants and grateful subjects, prosperity symbols (granaries, coins), rich reds and greens, embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework, instructional court scene: king receiving petitions, scribe recording, orderly queue of villagers, subtle shading, emphasis on ethical governance","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with petitioners, naturalistic faces, architectural depth, the king gesturing benevolently, marginal motifs of harvest and prosperity, restrained elegance"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: carej-jahmād-virāgajam → caret brahmāt virāga-jam; syāj-janarañjanāt → syāt jana-rañjanāt; janānurāgayā treated as janānām anurāga (tatpuruṣa) in instrumental.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma section (Adhyāyas 220–235, general nīti and administration)
FAQs
It imparts rājavidyā/rajadharma: a practical statecraft principle that a ruler should adopt people-endearing policies and avoid governance driven by caprice or cold indifference, because public goodwill generates stable prosperity (Lakṣmī).
Alongside ritual, cosmology, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves political theory and ethics; this verse condenses a governance maxim—legitimacy and prosperity arise from janarañjana (public satisfaction)—showing its wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
By acting for the people’s welfare and cultivating goodwill rather than ego-driven or indifferent conduct, the king accrues dharmic merit and sustains righteous order; prosperity is framed as a dharma-aligned outcome (Lakṣmī) of ethical rule.