Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 31
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
नाविज्ञातां स्त्रियं गच्छेन्नाज्ञातां नावमारुद्वेत् राष्ट्रकर्षी भ्रस्यते च राज्यार्थाच्चैव जीवितात्
nāvijñātāṃ striyaṃ gacchennājñātāṃ nāvamārudvet rāṣṭrakarṣī bhrasyate ca rājyārthāccaiva jīvitāt
อย่าเข้าใกล้สตรีที่ไม่รู้จัก และอย่าขึ้นเรือที่ไม่รู้จัก; เพราะผู้ที่ขูดรีดแผ่นดินย่อมเสื่อมจากเป้าหมายแห่งราชอำนาจ และถึงกับสูญสิ้นชีวิตด้วย।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purāṇa’s rājadharma/nīti discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Risk-avoidance and ethical governance: avoid unknown sexual/transport risks; do not over-extract revenue—predatory rule destroys state and ruler.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Nīti: Avoid unknown woman/boat; condemnation of kingdom-draining exploitation","lookup_keywords":["strī-asaṃparka","anājñāta-nau","rāṣṭra-karṣaṇa","ati-kara","rāja-vināśa"],"quick_summary":"Personal recklessness and fiscal predation both lead to ruin: avoid unknown entanglements and do not drain the kingdom, or sovereignty and life are lost."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (light) / Upadeśa tone
Concept: A ruler’s self-restraint and non-exploitative revenue policy sustain life and kingship; adharma (predation) rebounds as destruction.
Application: Adopt sustainable taxation, protect productive classes, and enforce personal codes of conduct to preserve authority and safety.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Nīti-śāstra (Governance, Ethics, and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moralizing scene: a cautious man refuses an unknown boat at a riverbank and avoids an unknown woman; in parallel, a greedy king draining peasants is shown falling from power—illustrating consequences.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split-panel narrative—left, riverbank with boatman and traveler refusing; right, oppressive tax collection and the king’s downfall; bold outlines, symbolic gestures, temple mural framing.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: river crossing scene with gold-highlighted water patterns; separate vignette of king with tax bags and distressed subjects; embossed gold to emphasize moral contrast.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: clear didactic composition with captions implied—‘unknown boat’ and ‘over-extraction’; soft palette, precise figures, emphasis on ethical lesson.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed riverside with boat, reeds, and attendants; courtly scene of revenue extraction; nuanced expressions showing caution vs. greed and its fallout."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+अविज्ञाताम्→नाविज्ञाताम् (न + अ → ना); गच्छेत्+न→गच्छेन् (त् + न → न्न); न+अज्ञाताम्→नाज्ञाताम्; नावम्+आरुद्वेत्→नावमारुद्वेत्; राज्यार्थात्+च+एव→राज्यार्थाच्चैव (त् + च → च्च; च+एव→चैव).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma on taxation, protection of subjects, and king’s personal discipline
FAQs
It imparts nīti (practical statecraft/ethics): avoid high-risk, unverified associations (unknown partners) and unsafe, unverified means of travel (unknown boat), and it warns rulers against over-extracting resources from the realm.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles pragmatic guidance for social order and governance; this verse is a compact rājadharma maxim combining personal safety, public responsibility, and fiscal restraint.
Ethically, reckless conduct and exploitation of subjects create adharma; the verse frames such behavior as leading to downfall—loss of legitimate kingship’s purpose and ultimately one’s life—implying negative karmic consequence and social ruin.