Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 43
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
मित्रं कुर्वीत सत्क्रियमिति ज तत्र सम्बद्धमिति ग आजीव्यः सर्वसत्त्वानां राजा पर्जन्यवद्भवेत् आयद्वारेषु चाप्त्यर्थं धनं चाददतीति च
mitraṃ kurvīta satkriyamiti ja tatra sambaddhamiti ga ājīvyaḥ sarvasattvānāṃ rājā parjanyavadbhavet āyadvāreṣu cāptyarthaṃ dhanaṃ cādadatīti ca
“நற்கிரியையால் நண்பனைப் பெற வேண்டும்” என்று ஒரு பாடம்; “அது அந்தச் சூழலோடு தொடர்புடையது” என்று மற்றொரு பாடம். அரசன் எல்லா உயிர்களுக்கும் வாழ்வாதாரமாக இருந்து, போஷணத்தில் பர்ஜன்யன் (மழைத் தெய்வம்) போல இருக்க வேண்டும்; மேலும் வருவாய் வாயில்களில் உரிய பெறுதலுக்காக செல்வத்தையும் பெற வேண்டும்।
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s primary narration to Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Kingship ethic: cultivate alliances through honorable conduct; sustain subjects like rain (regular welfare provisioning) while collecting revenue through legitimate channels for administration.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"King as Parjanya: welfare and revenue through proper channels","lookup_keywords":["mitra","satkriyā","rājadharma","parjanya","āya-dvāra"],"quick_summary":"Friendship is secured by honorable behavior, and the king’s role is to sustain all beings like rain. Revenue collection is justified when taken through proper fiscal channels for due acquisition and governance."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: Legitimate power is reciprocal: the ruler sustains (poshana) and therefore may collect (kara) through lawful channels, avoiding predation.
Application: Policy principle: welfare-first governance; transparent taxation via defined revenue streams; alliance-building through integrity (satkriyā).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, Kingship, Public Welfare)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: dharmavira
Type: Cosmic/Deity
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in council: one panel shows him giving relief and irrigation like rain; another shows orderly tax collection at revenue offices, emphasizing lawful channels and public benefit.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king with parasol and attendants, clouds and rain motif above, subjects receiving grain and water, adjacent scene of scribes at āya-dvāra collecting taxes calmly, traditional stylization","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work, regal king with halo, Parjanya cloud motif behind, offerings of grain and coins, ornate revenue hall with ledgers, symmetrical composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, detailed administrative scene: king instructing ministers, labeled ‘satkriyā’ and ‘āya-dvāra’, rain imagery as allegory, soft colors and fine outlines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, durbar with ministers, realistic rain clouds over fields in background, orderly tax office vignette, intricate textiles and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पर्जन्यवद्भवेत् = पर्जन्यवत् + भवेत्; आयद्वारेषु = आय + द्वारेषु; चाप्त्यर्थम् = च + आप्त्यर्थम्; चाददाति = च + आददाति; ‘ज/ग’ पाठचिह्नौ (editorial markers)
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma passages on taxation, protection, and kingly virtues (near 238.30–239.10)
FAQs
It imparts Rajadharma-niti: the king must sustain subjects like life-giving rain and collect revenue only through proper, defined income-channels (āya-dvāra) for legitimate administrative needs.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical statecraft—ally-making (mitra-niti), welfare economics (king as ājīvya), and public finance via regulated revenue sources—showing its wide-ranging, handbook-like scope.
A ruler who nourishes like Parjanya and levies wealth only by rightful means upholds dharma, reducing harm (hiṃsā) to subjects and accruing merit through protection and just governance.