Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 16
Chapter 238 — राजधर्माः (Rājadharmāḥ) | Duties of Kings
दृढता मन्त्रगुप्तिश् च मन्त्रिसम्पत् प्रकीर्तिता त्रय्यां च दण्डनीत्यां च कुशलः स्यात् पुरोहितः
dṛḍhatā mantraguptiś ca mantrisampat prakīrtitā trayyāṃ ca daṇḍanītyāṃ ca kuśalaḥ syāt purohitaḥ
ความมั่นคงและการรักษาความลับแห่งคำปรึกษา ถูกประกาศว่าเป็นคุณสมบัติอันประเสริฐของเสนาบดี และปุโรหิตควรชำนาญทั้งไตรเวท (ตรัยยี) และทัณฑนีติ คือศาสตร์แห่งการปกครองและการลงโทษ.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Defines ministerial excellence as steadfastness and secrecy; prescribes that the purohita must be competent in Vedic learning and governance/punishment science—integrating ritual authority with statecraft.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Mantra-gūpti and Purohita-kauśala (Secrecy of Counsel; Priest’s Dual Expertise)","lookup_keywords":["mantra-gūpti","dṛḍhatā","purohita","trayī","daṇḍanīti"],"quick_summary":"A minister’s key excellence is firmness and safeguarding counsel; the royal priest should be skilled in the Vedic triad and in daṇḍanīti, aligning sacred knowledge with governance."}
Concept: Trayī (Vedic knowledge) and daṇḍanīti (governance) must be jointly mastered by the purohita to guide the king with both sacred legitimacy and practical prudence.
Application: Establish dual-competency standards for royal advisors: confidentiality protocols (mantra-gūpti) and interdisciplinary training combining śruti-based ritual expertise with administrative law and ethics.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Dandaniti (Statecraft and Governance)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal priest (purohita) with sacred thread and Vedic manuscripts stands beside the king; a minister seals a counsel document; symbols of Veda (three manuscripts) and daṇḍa (staff) appear together.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: purohita with trayī manuscripts, king seated, minister holding sealed counsel, stylized daṇḍa staff, temple-like arch framing, earthy reds/ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king and purohita under gold-embossed arch, three Vedic books highlighted with gold, minister presenting sealed mantra-counsel, rich ornamentation and symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional scene showing trayī on one side and daṇḍanīti scroll on the other, purohita bridging both, fine linework and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: court scene with Brahmin priest holding manuscripts, minister sealing a document, detailed textiles and architecture, emphasis on confidentiality and authority."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mantraguptiś ca → mantraguptiḥ ca (visarga before c).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 238.12; Agni Purana 238.15
FAQs
It teaches a practical governance ethic: a minister must be resolute and able to keep state counsel confidential, while the royal priest must combine Vedic mastery (trayī) with competence in daṇḍanīti (administration, law-and-order, and punitive policy).
It explicitly bridges domains—Vedic scholarship (religious-ritual authority) and daṇḍanīti (political science)—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s characteristic integration of sacred learning with applied statecraft.
By aligning governance with dharma—through truthful Vedic grounding and disciplined, confidential counsel—the verse implies that righteous administration and properly guided kingship become merit-generating and socially purifying rather than harmful.