Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 38

Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti

Devanagari script

विवृद्धाः शत्रवश् चैव विनाशाय भवन्ति ते दूष्यस्य दूषणार्थञ्च परित्यागो महीयसः

Transliteration

vivṛddhāḥ śatravaś caiva vināśāya bhavanti te dūṣyasya dūṣaṇārthañca parityāgo mahīyasaḥ

Translation

เมื่อศัตรูเจริญกำลังเข้มแข็ง ย่อมเป็นเหตุแห่งความพินาศโดยแท้; และเพื่อประณามสิ่งที่ควรถูกตำหนิ การละทิ้งสิ่งนั้นโดยมหาบุรุษก็เป็นหลักการอันหนักแน่น

Word by Word

• विवृद्धाः: grown/increased
• विवृद्धाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+वृध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शत्रवः: enemies
• शत्रवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic/indeed)

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Prayojana/सम्प्रदान (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• भवन्ति: become/turn into
• भवन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (pronoun)

• दूष्यस्य: of the one to be harmed/tainted
• दूष्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दूषणार्थम्: for the purpose of harming/defaming
• दूषणार्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूषण+अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; अर्थः = प्रयोजन (purpose)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• परित्यागः: abandonment/renunciation
• परित्यागः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि+त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महीयसः: of the greater (person/thing)
• महीयसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-प्रातिपदिक (comparative)

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha, in the usual Agni Purana dialogue frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव; दूषणार्थञ्च = दूषणार्थम् + च (म् + च → ञ्च).

Characters & Entities

• Enemies (śatravaḥ)
• The great person (mahīyān/mahīyasaḥ)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

This is Nīti-vidyā (practical statecraft/ethics): it warns that strengthened enemies lead to ruin and teaches that a leader should abandon blameworthy practices to uphold dharma and public trust.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves governance manuals (Rajadharma/Nīti), including political risk (enemy growth) and ethical policy (renouncing censurable conduct), showing its multi-disciplinary scope.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Renouncing what is दूष्य (blameworthy) is a dharmic purification: it reduces negative karma, strengthens satya/śīla, and aligns personal and royal conduct with righteous order.