Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Chapter 233 — Ṣāḍguṇya (The Six Measures of Royal Policy) and Foreign Daṇḍa
अनर्थायानुबन्धः स्यात् सन्धिना च तथा भवेत् सामलब्धास्पदञ्चात्र दानञ्चार्थक्षयङ्करं
anarthāyānubandhaḥ syāt sandhinā ca tathā bhavet sāmalabdhāspadañcātra dānañcārthakṣayaṅkaraṃ
Ang pakikipag-alyansa ay maaaring magbunga ng sunod-sunod na kapinsalaan; at sa pamamagitan ng pakikipagkasundo (sandhi) ay maaari ring mangyari ito. Bukod dito, sa ganitong kalagayan, maging ang pagbibigay ng mga handog—kapag hindi pa nakapagtatatag ng matibay na puwesto (tiyak na pakinabang na estratehiko)—ay nagiging sanhi ng pag-ubos ng yaman.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Warns rulers about the hidden costs of alliances, peace treaties, and indiscriminate gifting; emphasizes securing concrete strategic footing before concessions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Risks of Sandhi and Unsecured Dāna (Costly Concessions)","lookup_keywords":["sandhi","dāna","anartha-anubandha","arthakṣaya","sāma"],"quick_summary":"Peace and alliances can trigger cascading harms; gifts that do not secure a stable advantage become mere resource-drain."}
Concept: Consequential thinking (anubandha-darśana): policies must be judged by long chains of effects, not immediate relief.
Application: Treaties and aid should be conditional and outcome-based; ensure enforceability and strategic anchoring before concessions.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Statecraft: diplomacy, gifts, and alliances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diplomatic hall where envoys offer a treaty; the king weighs a chest of coins against a map, indicating that gifts without leverage cause depletion; shadowy consequences appear as a chain behind the treaty scroll.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: king and envoys with treaty scroll; a treasury chest shown diminishing in successive small panels (anartha-anubandha); stylized chain motif behind the scroll; vivid reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate court with gold leaf; treaty scroll and gift trays in foreground; the king’s hand pauses over the gifts; symbolic balance scale with coins and a fort icon to show 'firm footing' requirement.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic scene with labeled objects—sandhi-patra, dāna, kośa (treasury); a clear visual of resource depletion if no strategic gain; fine linework and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: negotiation scene with envoys; meticulous depiction of coin trays and documents; marginal mini-scenes show downstream troubles from a bad alliance, painted as sequential vignettes."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: anarthāya + anubandhaḥ → anarthāyānubandhaḥ; sāma + labdha-āspadam + ca + atra → sāmalabdhāspadañ cātra; dānam + ca + artha... → dānañ cārthakṣayakaraṃ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Rajadharma sections on sandhi-vigraha and the four upāyas; Agni Purana counsel on treasury protection and state resources
FAQs
It imparts niti-vidya (political strategy): alliances and peace-treaties can create ongoing entanglements, and gifts/tributes are strategically sound only when they secure a concrete foothold; otherwise they drain the treasury.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves practical governance doctrine—here, a concise rule of diplomacy and fiscal prudence—showing its wide coverage of rajadharma and political science.
It frames righteous rule as disciplined and non-wasteful: a king should avoid actions that generate avoidable harm and impoverishment, since misrule and reckless expenditure are treated as adharma with harmful consequences for the realm.