Agni Purana — Chapter 237

AgP 237.1

:ए इत्य् अग्नेये महापुराणे श्रीस्तोत्रं नाम षट्त्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः ॥ छप्तेर् {२३७} :श् अथ सप्तत्रिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः रामोक्तनीतिः अग्निर् उवाच नीतिस्ते पुष्करोक्ता तु रामोक्ता लक्ष्मणाय या जयाय तां प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु धर्मादिवर्धनीं

:e ity agneye mahāpurāṇe śrīstotraṃ nāma ṣaṭtriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ || chapter {237} :ś atha saptatriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ rāmoktanītiḥ agnir uvāca nītiste puṣkaroktā tu rāmoktā lakṣmaṇāya yā jayāya tāṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu dharmādivardhanīṃ

Thus ends the two hundred thirty-sixth chapter, called "The Hymn to Śrī," in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa. Chapter 237: The polity taught by Rāma. Agni said: The polity told to you by Puṣkara (has been given); but that which Rāma told to Lakṣmaṇa for the sake of victory — that I shall declare; hear it, for it increases dharma and the rest.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.2

राम उवाच न्यानेनार्जनमर्थस्य वर्धनं रक्षणं चरेत् सत्पात्रप्रतिपत्तिश् च राजवृत्तं चतुर्विधं

rāma uvāca nyānenārjanamarthasya vardhanaṃ rakṣaṇaṃ caret satpātrapratipattiś ca rājavṛttaṃ caturvidhaṃ

Rāma said: Acquiring wealth by lawful means, increasing it, guarding it, and bestowing it on worthy recipients — the king's conduct is of these four kinds.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.3

नयस्य विनयो मूलं विनयः शास्त्रनिश् चयात् विनयो हीन्द्रियजयस्तैर् युक्तः पालयेन्महीं

nayasya vinayo mūlaṃ vinayaḥ śāstraniś cayāt vinayo hīndriyajayastair yuktaḥ pālayenmahīṃ

The root of policy is discipline; discipline comes from settled knowledge of the treatises; and discipline is indeed the conquest of the senses. Joined with these, let him protect the earth.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.4

शास्त्रं प्रज्ञा धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं प्रागल्भ्यं धारयिष्णुता उत्साहो वाग्मितौदार्यमापत्कालसहिष्णुता(१)

śāstraṃ prajñā dhṛtirdākṣyaṃ prāgalbhyaṃ dhārayiṣṇutā utsāho vāgmitaudāryamāpatkālasahiṣṇutā(1)

Knowledge of the treatises, wisdom, steadfastness, dexterity, boldness, the capacity to bear (burdens), energy, eloquence, generosity, endurance in times of calamity,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.5

प्रभावः शुचिता मैत्री त्यागः सत्यं कृतज्ञता कुलं शीलं समश्चेति गुणाः सम्पत्तिहेतवः

prabhāvaḥ śucitā maitrī tyāgaḥ satyaṃ kṛtajñatā kulaṃ śīlaṃ samaśceti guṇāḥ sampattihetavaḥ

authority, purity, friendliness, liberality, truthfulness, gratitude, (good) family, (good) character, and evenness — these qualities are the causes of prosperity.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.6

प्रकीर्णविषयारण्ये धावन्तं विप्रमाथिनं :न् १ वागिमता दार्ढ्यमापत्कालसहिष्णुतेति ख॥ , घ॥ , ज॥ , झ॥ च :प् ३५९ ज्ञानाङ्कुशेन कुर्वीत वश्यमिन्द्रियदन्तिनं

prakīrṇaviṣayāraṇye dhāvantaṃ vipramāthinaṃ :n 1 vāgimatā dārḍhyamāpatkālasahiṣṇuteti kha.. , gha.. , ja.. , jha.. ca :p 359 jñānāṅkuśena kurvīta vaśyamindriyadantinaṃ

With the goad of knowledge one should subdue the elephant of the senses as it runs wild, wreaking havoc, in the forest of scattered sense-objects. [Footnote: some manuscripts read "vāgimatā dārḍhyam āpatkālasahiṣṇutā."]

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.7

कामः क्रोधस् तथा लोभो हर्षो मानो मदस् तथा षड्वर्गमुत्सृजेदेनमस्मिंस्त्यक्ते सुखी नृपः

kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobho harṣo māno madas tathā ṣaḍvargamutsṛjedenamasmiṃstyakte sukhī nṛpaḥ

Desire, anger, greed, elation, pride, and intoxication — this set of six he should cast off; when it is cast off, the king is happy.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.8

आन्वीक्षिकीं त्रयीं वार्तां दण्डनीतिं च पार्थिवः तद्वैद्यैस्तत्क्रियोपैतैश्चिन्ततयेद्विनयान्वितः

ānvīkṣikīṃ trayīṃ vārtāṃ daṇḍanītiṃ ca pārthivaḥ tadvaidyaistatkriyopaitaiścintatayedvinayānvitaḥ

Logic, the threefold Veda, economics, and the science of punishment — these the ruler, endowed with discipline, should ponder together with those learned in them and practised in their application.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.9

आन्वीक्षिक्यार्थविज्ञानं धर्माधर्मौ त्रयीस्थितौ अर्थानर्थौ तु वार्तायां दण्डनीत्यां नयानयौ

ānvīkṣikyārthavijñānaṃ dharmādharmau trayīsthitau arthānarthau tu vārtāyāṃ daṇḍanītyāṃ nayānayau

By logic (comes) the discernment of what is real; dharma and its opposite rest in the threefold Veda; gain and loss lie in economics, and policy and its opposite in the science of punishment.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.10

अहिंसा सूनृता वाणी सत्यं शौचं दया क्षमा वर्णिनां लिङ्गिनां चैव सामान्यो धर्म उच्यते

ahiṃsā sūnṛtā vāṇī satyaṃ śaucaṃ dayā kṣamā varṇināṃ liṅgināṃ caiva sāmānyo dharma ucyate

Non-injury, kindly speech, truthfulness, purity, compassion, forbearance — this is called the common dharma both of the members of the classes and of those who bear (ascetic) marks.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.11

प्रजाः समनुगृह्णीयात् कुर्यादाचारसंस्थितिं वाक् सूनृता दया दानं हीनोपगतरक्षणं(१)

prajāḥ samanugṛhṇīyāt kuryādācārasaṃsthitiṃ vāk sūnṛtā dayā dānaṃ hīnopagatarakṣaṇaṃ(1)

He should show favour to his subjects and establish (right) conduct: kindly speech, compassion, giving, and protection of the lowly who come (to him).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.12

इति वृत्तं सतां साधुहितं सत्पुरुषव्रतं आधिव्याधिपरीताय अद्य श्वो वा विनाशिने

iti vṛttaṃ satāṃ sādhuhitaṃ satpuruṣavrataṃ ādhivyādhiparītāya adya śvo vā vināśine

Such is the practice of the good, beneficial to the virtuous, the vow of worthy men. For the sake of a body beset by mental and bodily ills, perishing today or tomorrow,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.13

को हि राजा शरीराय धर्मापेतं समाचरेत् न हि स्वमुखमन्विच्छन्(२) पीडयेत् कृपणं जनं

ko hi rājā śarīrāya dharmāpetaṃ samācaret na hi svamukhamanvicchan(2) pīḍayet kṛpaṇaṃ janaṃ

what king would act in a way contrary to dharma? For one who seeks his own good should not oppress the wretched.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AgP 237.14

कृपणः पीड्यमानो हि मन्युना हन्ति पार्थिवं क्रियते ऽभ्यर्हणीयाय स्वजनाय यथाञ्जलिः

kṛpaṇaḥ pīḍyamāno hi manyunā hanti pārthivaṃ kriyate 'bhyarhaṇīyāya svajanāya yathāñjaliḥ

For the wretched man, when oppressed, kills the king through his wrath. Just as the hands are joined in reverence to one's own kinsman who deserves honour,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.15

ततः साधुतरः कार्यो दुर्जनाय शिवर्थिना प्रियमेवाभिधातव्यं सत्सु नित्यं द्विषत्सु च

tataḥ sādhutaraḥ kāryo durjanāya śivarthinā priyamevābhidhātavyaṃ satsu nityaṃ dviṣatsu ca

so one who desires his own welfare should behave even more kindly toward a bad man; only what is agreeable should always be spoken, both to the good and to those who hate one.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.16

देवास्ते प्रियवक्तारः पशवः क्रूरवादिनः शुचिरास्तिक्यपूतात्मा पूजयेद्देवताः सदा

devāste priyavaktāraḥ paśavaḥ krūravādinaḥ śucirāstikyapūtātmā pūjayeddevatāḥ sadā

Those who speak kindly are gods; those who speak harshly are beasts. Pure, his self cleansed by faith, he should always worship the deities.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.17

:न् १ दीनोपगतरक्षणमिति ख॥ , घ॥ , छ॥ , ज॥ , ञ॥ , ट॥ च २ स्वमुखमन्विच्छुरिति ख॥ , छ॥ च :प् ३६० देवतावत् गुरुजनमात्मवच्च सुहृज्जनं प्रणिपातेन हि गुरुं सतो ऽमृषानुचेष्टितैः

:n 1 dīnopagatarakṣaṇamiti kha.. , gha.. , cha.. , ja.. , ña.. , ṭa.. ca 2 svamukhamanvicchuriti kha.. , cha.. ca :p 360 devatāvat gurujanamātmavacca suhṛjjanaṃ praṇipātena hi guruṃ sato 'mṛṣānuceṣṭitaiḥ

[Footnote: some manuscripts read "dīnopagatarakṣaṇam"; some read "svamukham anvicchuḥ."] (He should honour) his elders as deities and his friends as himself; the teacher by prostration, and the good by acts free from falsehood.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AgP 237.18

कुर्वीताभिमुखान् भृत्यैर् देवान् सुकृतकर्मणा सद्भावेन हरेन्मित्रं सम्भ्रमेण च बान्धवान्

kurvītābhimukhān bhṛtyair devān sukṛtakarmaṇā sadbhāvena harenmitraṃ sambhrameṇa ca bāndhavān

He should make (them) well disposed (to him) — his servants (by attention), the gods by well-performed rites; he should win a friend by sincerity, and kinsmen by eager attentiveness.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AgP 237.19

स्त्रीभृत्यान् प्रेमदानाभ्यां दाक्षिण्येतरं जनं अनिन्दा परकृत्येषु स्वधर्मपरिपालनं

strībhṛtyān premadānābhyāṃ dākṣiṇyetaraṃ janaṃ anindā parakṛtyeṣu svadharmaparipālanaṃ

(He should win) wives and servants by affection and by gifts, and other people by courtesy; (his conduct should be) not censuring others in their affairs, and guarding his own duty.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AgP 237.20

कृपणेषु दयालुत्वं सर्वत्र मधुरा गिरः प्राणैर् अप्युपकारित्वं मित्रायाव्यभिचारिणे

kṛpaṇeṣu dayālutvaṃ sarvatra madhurā giraḥ prāṇair apyupakāritvaṃ mitrāyāvyabhicāriṇe

Compassion toward the wretched, sweet words to all, doing good even at the cost of one's life for a friend who does not betray (one).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.21

गृहागते परिष्वङ्गः शक्त्या दानं सहिष्णुता स्वसमृद्धिष्वनुत्सेकः परवृद्धिष्वमत्सरः

gṛhāgate pariṣvaṅgaḥ śaktyā dānaṃ sahiṣṇutā svasamṛddhiṣvanutsekaḥ paravṛddhiṣvamatsaraḥ

An embrace for one who comes to the house, giving according to one's means, patience, no arrogance in one's own prosperity, no envy at others' prosperity.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AgP 237.22

अपरोपतापि वचनं मौनव्रतचरिष्णुता(१) बन्धभिर्बद्धसंयोगः स्वजने चतुरश्रता

aparopatāpi vacanaṃ maunavratacariṣṇutā(1) bandhabhirbaddhasaṃyogaḥ svajane caturaśratā

Speech that does not distress others, the ability to practise the vow of silence, forming ties with kinsmen, straightforwardness toward one's own people.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AgP 237.23

उचितानुविधायित्वमिति वृत्तं महात्मनां ॥२३

ucitānuvidhāyitvamiti vṛttaṃ mahātmanāṃ //23

And acting in accordance with what is fitting — such is the conduct of great-souled men. (23)

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition