Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 32
Rājanīti (Statecraft): Ṣaḍvidha-bala, Vyūha-vidhāna, and Strategic Warfare
प्रतिग्रह इति ख्यातो राजकार्यान्तरक्षमः तेन शून्यस्तु यो व्यूहः स भिन्न इव लक्ष्यते
pratigraha iti khyāto rājakāryāntarakṣamaḥ tena śūnyastu yo vyūhaḥ sa bhinna iva lakṣyate
جسے ‘پرتیگرہ’ کے نام سے جانا جاتا ہے، وہ شاہی امور میں درمیان کے خلا/فاصلہ کو ڈھانپ کر حفاظت کرنے کے قابل ہوتا ہے؛ مگر جس صف بندی میں یہ نہ ہو، وہ گویا ٹوٹی ہوئی دکھائی دیتی ہے۔
Lord Agni (instructional narration to Vasiṣṭha)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शून्यस्तु = शून्यः तु; राजकार्यान्तरक्षमः = राज-कार्य-अन्तर-क्षमः.
FAQs
It teaches a technical principle of governance/strategy: “pratigraha” is the compensating or gap-covering component in a state’s operational arrangement; without it, the whole deployment appears fragmented.
By preserving a specialized term and concept from practical statecraft—how to structure royal operations and prevent administrative or tactical discontinuity—showing the Purana’s coverage beyond ritual into political science.
Sound governance that prevents “breaks” in duty supports dharma in the kingdom; maintaining continuity in rightful action is presented as a dharmic obligation of rulers and their administration.