Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 23
Adhyaya 222 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharmāḥ): Duties of Kings (Administrative Order, Protection, and Revenue Ethics
न तद्राज्ञा प्रदातव्यं गृहे यद् गृहगैर् हृतं स्वराष्ट्रपण्यादादद्याद्राजा विंशतिमं द्विज
na tadrājñā pradātavyaṃ gṛhe yad gṛhagair hṛtaṃ svarāṣṭrapaṇyādādadyādrājā viṃśatimaṃ dvija
హే ద్విజా! ఇంట్లో ఇంటివారే హరించిన నష్టాన్ని రాజు పరిహరించకూడదు. తన రాజ్యంలో ఉన్న వ్యాపార సరుకులపై రాజు ఇరవయ్యవ భాగాన్ని గ్రహించాలి।
Lord Agni (teaching rājadharma to the sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Clarify state liability: the king does not compensate losses caused by internal household theft; establish a standard tax rate of one-twentieth on trade goods within the realm.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Limits of royal compensation and the one-twentieth share on merchandise","lookup_keywords":["household-theft","royal-liability","vimsatima-bhaga","panya-tax","svadesha-vyapara"],"quick_summary":"Losses due to theft by one’s own household members are not compensated by the king; for commerce within the kingdom, a normative levy of 1/20 is prescribed."}
Concept: Pragmatic governance: delineating private responsibility vs. public responsibility; moderate taxation as a pillar of stability.
Application: Draft legal codes distinguishing domestic disputes from public crimes; set predictable tax rates to encourage trade compliance.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Vyavahāra (Governance, taxation, and legal procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marketplace within the kingdom where a royal tax collector measures goods and records a one-twentieth levy; a separate domestic scene shows a household dispute over internal theft, outside royal compensation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, bustling bazaar with stylized merchants and scales; royal officer collecting a measured share; secondary vignette of a household quarrel indicating private liability","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold detailing on scales and coin trays; merchant presenting goods, collector taking a small fixed portion; ornate framing emphasizing orderly prosperity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional depiction of tax calculation (1/20) with ledgers, weights, and calm administrative setting; clear didactic composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed market scene with textiles, spices, and coinage; tax officer with register; domestic interior scene of household theft dispute rendered with narrative realism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्राज्ञा = तत् + राज्ञा; गृहगैर् = गृहगैः (विसर्ग/रेफ्-सन्धि); स्वराष्ट्रपण्यादादद्याद्राजा = स्वराष्ट्रपण्यात् + आदद्याद् + राजा.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 222.24 (customs duty calibrated to profit and costs)
FAQs
It imparts rājadharma (statecraft/legal policy): limits of royal liability for theft and a specific revenue rule—levying a 1/20 tax on merchandise in the king’s realm.
Beyond theology, it preserves administrative law and fiscal policy (tax rates and liability norms), showing the Agni Purāṇa’s coverage of practical governance alongside ritual and spiritual topics.
It frames taxation and justice as dharma: the king must collect revenue in a regulated, non-arbitrary way and avoid improper payouts, supporting social order (dharma) and reducing adharma in governance.