Agni Purana

गोजाचविगृहदानाद्यैः सांवत्सरपुरोहितौ । पूजयित्वा द्विजान् प्रार्च्य ह्यन्यभूगोन्नमुख्यकैः ।। २१८.

Having honored the priests with gifts of cows, goats, houses, and so on for a year, and having worshipped the twice-born with other excellent gifts of land and food.

वह्निं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य गुरुं नत्वाथ पृष्ठतः । वृषमालभ्य गां वत्सां पूजयित्वाश्च मन्त्रितं ।। २१८.

Having circumambulated the fire, bowed to the teacher, then behind, having touched a bull and a cow with a calf, and having worshipped the one who recites mantras.

अश्वमारुह्य नागश्च पूजयेत्तं समारुहेत् । परिभ्रमेद्राजमार्गे बलयुक्तः प्रदक्षिणं ।। २१८.

Mounting a horse and an elephant, he should honor him and mount; accompanied by the army, he should circumambulate along the royal road.

सहायसम्पत्तिः । पुष्कर उवाच सोऽभिषिक्तः सहामात्यो जयेच्छत्रून्नृपोत्तमः । राज्ञा सेनापतिः कार्यो ब्राह्मणः क्षत्रियोऽथ वा ।। २२०.

Puṣkara said: Thus anointed, with his ministers, the best of kings should conquer his enemies; the commander should be appointed by the king, whether a Brāhmaṇa or a Kṣatriya.

कुलीनो नीतिशास्त्रज्ञः प्रतीहारश्च नीतिवित् । दूतश्च प्रियवादी स्यादक्षीणोऽतिंबलान्वितः ।। २२०.

He should be of good family, learned in political science, the usher skilled in policy; the messenger should be pleasant-spoken, not lacking, and endowed with great strength.

ताम्बूलधारी ना स्त्री वा भक्तः क्लेशसहप्रियः । सान्धिविग्रहिकः कार्य्यः षाड्‌गुण्यादिविशारदः ।। २२०.

He should carry betel, not be a woman, devoted, fond of enduring hardship; the minister for treaties and war should be skilled in the six policies.

खड्‌गधारी रक्षकः स्यात्सारथिः स्याद्‌बलादिवित् । सूदाध्यक्षो हितो विज्ञो महानसगदतो हि सः ।। २२०.

The sword-bearer should be a protector, the charioteer skilled in the army; the superintendent of the kitchen should be beneficial, wise, and skilled in the great kitchen.

सभासदस्तु धर्मज्ञाः लेखकोऽक्षरविद्धितः । आह्वानकालविज्ञाः स्युर्हिता दौवारिका जनाः ।। २२०.

The members of the assembly should be learned in law, the scribe skilled in letters; those who know the proper time for summons should be beneficial, and the doorkeepers should be trustworthy.

रत्नादिज्ञो धनाध्यज्ञः अनुद्वारे हितो नरः । स्यादायुर्वेदविद्वैद्यो गजाध्यक्षोऽथ हस्तिवित् ।। २२०.

He should be skilled in jewels and wealth, a beneficial man at the inner gate; a physician learned in Ayurveda, the superintendent of elephants, and skilled with elephants.

जितश्रमो गजारोही हयाध्यक्षो हयादिबित् । दुर्गाध्यक्षो हितो धीमान् स्थपतिर्वास्तुवेदवित् ।। २२०.

He should be tireless, a skilled elephant rider, the superintendent of horses, and skilled with horses; the superintendent of forts should be beneficial and wise, the chief architect skilled in building.

यन्त्रमुक्ते पाणिमुक्ते अमुक्ते मुक्तधारिते । अस्त्राचार्य्यो नियुद्धे च कुशलो नृपतेर्हितः ।। २२०.

Skilled in machines, in hand-to-hand combat, and in unarmed and armed fighting; the weapons master should be expert in battle and beneficial to the king.

वृद्धश्चान्तःपुराध्यक्षः पञ्चाशद्वार्षिकाः स्त्रियः । सप्तत्यव्दास्तु पुरुषाश्चरेयुः सर्वकर्मसु ।। २२०.

The superintendent of the inner apartments should be elderly, and women should be fifty years of age; men, up to seventy years, may be engaged in all duties.

जाग्रत्स्यादायुधागारे ज्ञात्वा वृत्तिर्विधीयते । उत्तमाधममध्यानि बुद्‌ध्वा कर्माणि पार्थिवः ।। २२०.

One who is awake should be stationed in the armory, and, having understood their conduct, their duties should be assigned; the king should discern the best, the worst, and the middling tasks.

उत्तमाधममध्यानि पुरुषाणि नियोजयेत् । जयेच्छुः पृथिवीं राकजा सहायानानयेद्धितान् ।। २२०.

He should appoint men to superior, inferior, and intermediate tasks; desiring to conquer the earth, he should bring in loyal allies.

धर्मिष्ठान् धर्मकार्येषु शूरान् सङ्‌ग्रामकर्मसु । निपुणानर्थकृत्येषु१ सर्वत्र च तथा शुचीन् ।। २२०.

Those who are righteous should be assigned to righteous duties, the brave to tasks of battle, the skilled to matters of wealth, and the pure to all such tasks.

स्त्रीषु षण्डान्नियुञ्जीत तीक्ष्णान् दारुणकर्मसु । यो यत्र विदितो राज्ञा शुचित्वेन तु तन्नरं ।। २२०.

Among women, eunuchs should be appointed; those who are harsh to cruel tasks; and wherever a man is known to the king for his purity, he should be assigned accordingly.

धर्मे चार्थे च कामे च नियुञ्जीताधमेऽधमान् । राजा यथार्हं कुर्य्याच्च उपधाभिः परीक्षितान् ।। २२०.

In matters of righteousness, wealth, and desire, the lowest should be assigned to the lowest tasks; the king should act as appropriate, having tested them with stratagems.

समन्त्र च यथान्यायात् कुर्य्याद्धस्तिवनेचरान् । तत्पदान्वेषणे यत्तानध्यक्षांस्तत्र कारयेत् ।। २२०.

With his ministers, according to justice, he should appoint those who dwell in forests and elephants; for tracking their movements, he should employ diligent overseers.

यस्मिन् कर्मणि कौशल्यं यस्य तस्मिन् नियोजयेत् । पितृपैताम्हान् भृत्यान् सर्वकर्मसु योजयेत् ।। २२०.

One should assign each person to the task in which he is skilled; hereditary servants should be employed in all duties.

दुष्टानप्यथ वाऽदुष्टान् संश्रयेत प्रयत्नतः । दुष्टं ज्ञात्वा विश्वसेन्न तद्‌वृत्तिं वर्त्तयेद्वशे ।। २२०.

Whether wicked or not wicked, one should carefully take refuge in them; having recognized the wicked, one should not trust them, but keep their conduct under control.

देशान्तरागतान् पार्श्वे चारैर्ज्ञात्वा हि पूजयेत् । शत्रवोऽग्निर्विषं सर्पो निस्त्रिंशमपि चैकतः ।। २२०.

Those who have come from other lands should be honored after being investigated by spies; for enemies, fire, poison, serpents, and swords are each dangerous.

भृत्यावशिष्टं विज्ञेयाः कुभृत्याश्च तथैकतः। चारचक्षुर्भवेद्राजा नियुञ्जीत सदाचरान् ।। २२०.

One should recognize unfaithful servants and bad servants in the same way; the king should always employ spies as his eyes.

जनस्याविहितान् सोम्यांस्तथाज्ञातान् परस्परं । वणिजो मन्त्रकुशलान् सांवत्सरचिकित्सकान् ।। २२०.

Those among the people who act improperly or are unknown to each other, merchants skilled in counsel, and physicians who practice for a year—

तथा प्रव्रजिताकारान् बलाबलविवेकिनः । नैकस्य राजा श्रद्दध्याच्छ्रद्दध्याद् बहुवाक्यतः ।। २२०.

And those who appear as ascetics, who discern strength and weakness— the king should not trust one person, but should trust one who speaks much.

रागापरागौ भृत्यानां जनस्य च गुणागुणान् । शुभानामशुभानाञ्च ज्ञानङ्कुर्य्याद्वसाय च ।। २२०.

He should discern the attachments and aversions of servants and the virtues and faults of people, knowing both the good and the bad for their proper placement.

अनुरागकरं कर्म चरेज्जह्याद्विरागजं । जनानुरागया लक्ष्म्यां राजा स्याज्जनरञ्जनात् ।। २२०.

He should perform actions that inspire affection and abandon those that cause aversion; by winning the people's affection, the king attains prosperity through their delight.

एकविंशत्यधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः पुष्कर उवाच भृत्यः कुर्यात्तु राजाज्ञां शिष्यवत्सच्छ्रियः पतेः । न क्षिपेद्वचनं राज्ञो अनुकूलं प्रियं वदेत् ।। २२१.

Puṣkara said: A servant should carry out the king's command as a disciple does, with respect for the lord; he should not disregard the king's word, but speak what is agreeable and pleasing.

रहोगतस्य वक्तव्यमप्रियं यद्धितं भवेत् । न नियुक्तो हरेद्वित्तं नोपेक्षेत्तस्य मानकं ।। २२१.

What is unpleasant but beneficial should be spoken to the king in private; if not ordered, he should not take the king's wealth, nor neglect his honor.

राज्ञश्च न तथाकार्य्यं वेशभाषाविचेष्टितं । अन्तःपुरचराध्यक्षो वैरभूतैर्न्निराकृतैः ।। २२१.

He should not act in a way unbefitting the king, nor use vulgar speech or gestures; the superintendent of the inner apartments should not associate with those who are hostile.