Agni Purana

राज्ञा यच्छ्रावितं गुह्यं न तल्लोके प्रकाशयेत् । आज्ञाप्यमाने बान्यस्मिन् किङ्करोमीति वा वदेत् ।। २२१.

Whatever secret the king has made known should not be revealed to the world; when ordered about something else, he should say, 'What shall I do?'

नानिर्द्दिष्टे२ द्वारि विशेन्नायोग्ये भुवि राजदृक ।। २२१.

He should not enter a door unbidden, nor go to a place unfit for the king’s sight.

शाठ्यं लौल्यं सपैशून्यं नास्तिक्यं क्षुद्रतातथा ।। २२१.

Deceit, greed, slander, atheism, and baseness—these must be avoided.

चापल्यञ्च परित्याज्यं नित्यं राकजानुजीविना । श्रुतेन विद्याशिल्पैश्च संयोज्यात्मानमात्मना ।। २२१.

Frivolity must always be abandoned by one who lives by serving the king; one should unite oneself with learning, knowledge, and skill.

नमस्कार्याः सदा चास्य पुत्रवल्लभमन्त्रिणः ।। २२१.

He should always show respect to the king’s beloved ministers as if they were his own sons.

सचिवैर्न्नास्य विश्वासो राजचित्तप्रियञ्चरेत् । त्यजेद्विरक्तं रक्तात्तु वृत्तिमीहेत राजवित् ।। २२१.

He should not place full trust in the king’s counselors, but act in a way pleasing to the king’s mind; he should abandon the disaffected, and seek his livelihood from those favored by the king.

अपृष्टश्चास्य न ब्रूयात् कामं कुर्य्यात्तथापदि । प्रसन्नो वाक्यसङ्‌ग्राही रहस्ये न च शङ्कते ।। २२१.

Without being asked, he should not speak; he may act as desired in an emergency; when the king is pleased, he should gather his words, and in secret, he should not be suspicious.

कुशलादिपरिप्रश्नं सम्प्रयच्छति चासनं । तत्कथाश्रवणाद्‌धृष्टो अप्रियाण्यपि नन्दते ।। २२१.

When the king inquires about his welfare and offers him a seat, he becomes emboldened by hearing the king’s words and rejoices even in unpleasant matters.

अल्पं दत्तं प्रगृह्णाति स्मरेत् कथान्तरेष्वपि । इति रक्तस्य कर्त्तव्यं सेवामन्यस्य वर्जयेत् ।। २२१.

He accepts even a small gift and remembers it in later conversations; such is the conduct of one favored by the king, and service to others should be avoided.

पुष्कर उवाच दुर्गसम्पत्तिमाख्यास्ये दुर्गदेशे वसेन्नृपः । वैश्यशूद्रजनप्रायोऽह्यनाहार्य्यस्तथापरैः ।। २२२.

Puṣkara said: I will describe the acquisition of fortresses; a king should dwell in a fortified region, mostly inhabited by Vaiśyas and Śūdras, and not easily accessible to outsiders.

किञ्चिद्‌ब्राह्मणसंयुक्तो बहुकर्म्मकरस्तथा । अदेवमातृको भक्तजलो देशः प्रशस्यने ।। २२२.

A region is praised where there are some Brāhmaṇas, many workers, not of mixed descent, devoted to service, and with abundant water.

अगम्यः परचक्राणां व्यालतस्करवर्जितः ।। २२२.

It should not be accessible to enemy armies, and should be free from wild beasts and thieves.

षण्णामेकतमं दुर्गं तच्च कृत्वा वसेद्‌ बली । धनुर्दुंर्गं महीदुर्गं नरदुर्गं तथैव च ।। २२२.

Of the six types of fortresses, a powerful king should build and dwell in one: a fortress of bows, earth, men, trees, water, or mountains.

वार्क्षञ्चैवाम्बुदुर्गञ्च गिरिदुर्गञ्च भार्गव । सर्वोत्तमं शैलदुर्गमभेद्यं चान्यभेदनं ।। २२२.

Among these, O Bhārgava, the mountain fortress is the best, being unassailable and able to break others.

पूरन्तत्र च हट्टाद्यदेवतायतनादिकं । अनुयन्त्रायुधोपेतं सोदकं दुर्गमुत्तमं ।। २२२.

There, the best fortress is one with a town, market, shrines, and other such places, equipped with machines and weapons, and supplied with water.

राजरक्षां प्रवक्ष्यामि रक्ष्यो भूपो विषादितः । पञ्चाङ्गस्तु शिरीषः स्यान्मूत्रपिष्टो विपार्द्दनः ।। २२२.

I will now describe the king’s protection; the king must be guarded against poison; the fivefold antidote is śirīṣa, mūtrapiṣṭa, vipārddana.

शतावरी छिन्नरुहा विषघ्नी तण्डुलीयकं । कोषातकी च कल्हारी ब्राह्मी चित्रपटोलिका ।। २२२.

Śatāvarī, chinnaruhā, viṣaghnī, taṇḍulīyaka, koṣātakī, kalhārī, brāhmī, and citrapaṭolikā.

मण्डूकपर्णी वाराही धात्र्यानन्दकमेव च । उन्मादिनी सोमराजी विषघ्नं रत्नमेव च ।। २२२.

Mandukaparni, Varahi, Dhatri, Ananda, Unmadini, Somaraji, Vishaghna, and also Ratna—

वास्तुलक्षणसंयुक्ते वसन् दुर्गे सुरान्यजेत् । प्रजाश्च पालयेद्‌दुष्टाञ्जयेद्दानानि दापयेत् ।। २२२.

Dwelling in a fortress endowed with auspicious marks, one should worship the gods; he should protect the people, subdue the wicked, and cause gifts to be given.

देवद्रव्यादिहरणात् कल्पन्तु नरके वसेत् । देवालयानि कुर्वीत देवपूजारतो नृपः ।। २२२.

By taking what belongs to the gods, one dwells in hell; a king should build temples and be devoted to the worship of the gods.

सुरालयाः पालनीयाः स्थापनीयाश्च देवताः । मृण्मयाद्दारुजं पुण्यं दारुजादिष्टकामयं ।। २२२.

Temples must be protected, and deities should be established; images made of clay, wood, or brick are meritorious.

ऐष्टकाच्छैलजं पुण्यं शैलजात् स्वर्णरत्नजं । क्रीडन् सुरगृहं कुर्वन् भुक्तिमुक्तिमवाप्नुयात् ।। २२२.

Images made of brick and stone are meritorious; those made of stone, gold, or gems are even more so. By building a temple for the gods, one attains enjoyment and liberation.

चित्र्कृद् गीतवाद्यादिप्रेक्षणीयादिदानकृत् । तैलाज्यमधुदुग्धाद्यैः स्नाप्य देवं दिवं व्रजेत् ।। २२२.

One who arranges spectacles, music, and gifts, and bathes the deity with oil, ghee, honey, milk, and the like, goes to heaven.

पूजयेत् पालयेद्विप्रान् द्विजस्वन्न हरेन्नृपः । सुवर्णमेकं गामेकां भूमेरप्येकमङ्गुलं ।। २२२.

He should honor and protect Brahmins, and not take food belonging to twice-borns; whoever takes even a single piece of gold, a single cow, or even a finger's breadth of land—

हरन्नरकमाप्नोति यावदाहूतसम्प्लवं । दुराचारन्न द्विषेच्च सर्वपापेष्वपि स्थितं ।। २२२.

Whoever takes such things attains hell until the final dissolution; one should not hate the wicked, even if they are engaged in all sins.

नैवास्ति ब्राह्मणबधात् पापं गुरुतरं क्वचित् । अदैवं दैवतं कुर्य्युः कुर्य्युर्द्दैवमदैवतं ।। २२२.

Nowhere is there a sin heavier than killing a Brahmin; those who make the divine non-divine, or the non-divine divine—

ब्राह्णणी रुदती हन्ति कुलं राज्यं प्र्जास्तथा ।। २२२.

A Brahmin woman, weeping, destroys the family, the kingdom, and the people as well.

साध्वीस्त्रीणां पालनञ्च राजा कुर्य्याच्च धार्मिकः । स्त्रिया प्रहृष्टया भाव्यं गृहकार्यैकदक्षया ।। २२२.

A righteous king should protect virtuous women; a woman should be cheerful, skilled in household duties—

सुसंम्कृतोपस्करया व्यये चामुक्तहस्तया । यस्मै दद्यात्पिता त्वेनां शुश्रषेत्तं पति सदा ।। २२२.

With well-arranged implements, and not wasteful with her hands; to whomever her father gives her, she should always serve that husband.