Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 10
Chapter 225 — राजधर्माः
The Duties of Kings): Daiva and Pौरुष (Effort), Upāyas of Statecraft, and Daṇḍa (Punitive Authority
आत्मीयान् दर्शयेदाशां येन दोषेण बिभ्यति परास्तेनैव ते भेद्या रक्ष्यो वै ज्ञातिभेदकः
ātmīyān darśayedāśāṃ yena doṣeṇa bibhyati parāstenaiva te bhedyā rakṣyo vai jñātibhedakaḥ
తనవారు ఏ దోషాన్ని భయపడతారో, అదే దోషాన్ని చూపించి వారికి లాభాశను చూపాలి; అదే బలహీనతతో వారిని విడదీయవచ్చు. బంధువులలో భేదం కలిగించే ప్రేరకుణ్ని రక్షించాలి।
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within a Nīti/Rājadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Counterintelligence and influence operations: motivate one’s own side with incentives while exploiting opponents’ anxieties; protect key informants/instigators who fracture hostile kin-groups.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āśā-pradarśana and Dōṣa-bhaya-based Bheda; Protection of the Jñāti-bhedaka","lookup_keywords":["āśā","dōṣa","bhaya","jñāti-bhedaka","bheda-nīti"],"quick_summary":"Offer hope of gain to one’s own people and split opponents by the very weakness they fear; safeguard the operative who creates divisions among enemy kinsmen."}
Concept: Nīti: leverage hope (āśā) and fear (bhaya) as instruments; protect strategic agents even if morally ambiguous.
Application: In administration, align insiders through clear incentives; in adversarial settings, identify what the other side fears and build strategy around that vulnerability while securing key sources.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Governance, counsel, and social strategy)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A minister advises the king: reward loyalists with promises; a covert agent is escorted to safety after sowing discord among enemy relatives who now argue among themselves.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king and minister in animated counsel, loyal soldiers receiving tokens, in the background enemy kinsmen quarrel, a spy being led through a guarded corridor, flat bold colors and dramatic gestures","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, king bestowing gifts (coins, cloth) to loyal men, gold-leaf highlights, separate vignette of enemy relatives disputing, guarded spy protected near palace gate, ornate throne and halo-like arch","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative split-panel composition: (1) incentive offered to allies, (2) enemy faction split by fear of a fault, (3) protected instigator escorted, fine lines and calm didactic layout","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate court scene with wazir, discreet handing of a purse to an agent, background courtyard where rival kinsmen argue, detailed textiles and architecture, subtle expressions of suspicion"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दर्शयेदाशां → दर्शयेत् + आशाम्; परास्तेनैव → पराः + तेन + एव; ज्ञातिभेदकः = ज्ञाति + भेदक (तत्पुरुष)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 225 (bheda and upāya discussions)
FAQs
It teaches a Nīti technique: identify the specific weakness or fear in a group and use that same vulnerability to create internal division; it also advises safeguarding the operative who foments such divisions.
Beyond ritual and theology, it preserves applied political science—counsel on alliance management, psychological leverage, and covert strategy—showing the text’s wide coverage of governance alongside religious instruction.
As Rājadharma material, it frames rule as a duty requiring prudence; however, it also implicitly raises ethical responsibility—such tactics should be weighed against dharma, since fomenting kin-splitting can carry negative karmic consequences if used unjustly.