Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 19
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
स तु दण्ड्यः शतं राज्ञा सुवर्णं वाप्यरक्षिता चौरवद्वधमर्हतोति घ , ञ च वरयेद्यदि इति घ , ञ च धनुःशतं परीणाहो ग्रामस्य तु समन्ततः
sa tu daṇḍyaḥ śataṃ rājñā suvarṇaṃ vāpyarakṣitā cauravadvadhamarhatoti gha , ña ca varayedyadi iti gha , ña ca dhanuḥśataṃ parīṇāho grāmasya tu samantataḥ
இத்தகைய அலட்சிய காவலன் அரசனால் நூறு சுவர்ண அபராதத்தால் தண்டிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். அது பாதுகாப்பின்றி இருந்தால், அவன் திருடனைப் போல மரணத்திற்குரியவன். அவன் குற்றத்தைத் தடுத்தால், கிராம எல்லை நாலாபுறமும் நூறு வில்-அளவு சுற்றளவாக நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட வேண்டும்.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in rajadharma/dandanīti material typical of the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides state punishment for negligent guardians/watchmen and defines a measurable village boundary standard (100 bow-lengths circumference) tied to security obligations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Penalty for negligent village guardian; boundary measure of 100 bow-lengths","lookup_keywords":["arakshita (unguarded)","watchman negligence","fine 100 suvarna","death like thief","dhanushata boundary"],"quick_summary":"A negligent protector is fined 100 suvarnas; persistent failure can merit capital punishment like theft. A cited legal reading links effective warding-off to a village boundary measure of one hundred bow-lengths around."}
Weapon Type: Bow (as a unit of measure: dhanus)
Concept: Protection (raksha) is a royal and delegated duty; negligence becomes moral-legal complicity.
Application: Use in administrative manuals: appointing guards, auditing failures, and demarcating jurisdictional boundaries for liability.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Governance, criminal law, village administration)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village watchman stands before the king after a theft; a scribe notes a fine of 100 suvarnas; a boundary surveyor measures a circular perimeter using a bow-length standard around the village.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king with parasol, stern officer presenting a negligent guard, gold coins shown as fine, surveyor pacing with a bow as measuring rod around stylized village huts and fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: regal darbar with heavy gold ornament, guard kneeling, tray of suvarnas, and a secondary vignette of boundary marking with posts and a measuring bow, ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction of boundary measurement—surveyors marking a 100-dhanus circumference, clear labels, alongside a courtroom panel showing graded punishment for negligence.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed village outskirts with boundary posts, surveyors measuring; separate darbar scene with the watchman fined, naturalistic faces, architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāpyarakṣitā read as vā + api + arakṣitā; cauravadvadhamarhati = caura-vat + vadham + arhati. The markers “gha, ña ca” appear to be editorial/recension notes and are not analyzed as Sanskrit padas.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Dandaniti: theft, negligence, village administration)
FAQs
It teaches dandanīti (penal policy): the king fines negligent protectors (100 suvarṇas) and treats severe negligence like theft, while also giving a technical administrative measure for a village’s surrounding extent (dhanuḥśata parīṇāha).
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—criminal liability, fines in suvarṇas, and standardized land/settlement measures—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and civil administration.
By enforcing protection and punishing negligence, the ruler upholds dharma and prevents harm to subjects; maintaining social order is treated as a righteous duty that supports collective merit and reduces adharma-driven suffering.