Agni Purana

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.

मृते भर्त्तरि स्वर्य्यायात् ब्रह्मचर्ये स्थिताङ्गना । परवेश्मरुचिर्न्न स्यान्न स्यात् कलहशालिनी ।। २२२.

When her husband has died, a woman who remains in chastity attains heaven; she should not delight in another's house, nor be quarrelsome.

मण्डनं वर्जयेन्नारी तथा प्रोषितभर्तृका । देवताराधनपरा तिष्ठेद्भर्त्तृहिते रता ।। २२२.

A woman whose husband is away should avoid adornment; she should be devoted to worshipping the deities and intent on her husband's welfare.

धारयेन्मङ्गलार्थाय किञ्चिदाभरणन्तथा । भर्त्राग्नि या विशेन्नारी सापि स्वर्गमवाप्नुयात् ।। २२२.

She should wear some ornament for auspiciousness; a woman who enters the fire with her husband also attains heaven.

श्रियः सम्पूजनङ्कार्य्यं गृहसम्मार्जनादिकं । द्वादश्यांकात्तिके विष्णुं गां सवत्सां ददेत्तथा ।। २२२.

One should perform the worship of Shri, and household cleaning and the like; on the twelfth day in Kartika, one should give a cow with a calf to Vishnu.

सप्तम्यां मार्गशीर्षे तु सितेऽभ्यर्च्य दिवाकरं ।। २२२.

On the seventh day of the bright fortnight in Margashirsha, one should worship the Sun.

पुष्कर उवाच ग्रामस्याधिपति कुर्य्याद्दशग्रामाधिपं नृपः । शतग्रामाधिपञ्चान्यं तथैव विषयेस्वरं ।। २२३.

Pushkara said: The king should appoint a headman for the village, a chief over ten villages, another over a hundred villages, and likewise a lord over the district.

तेषां भोगविभागश्च भवेत् कर्म्मानुरूपतः । नित्यमेव तथा कार्य्यं तेतषाञ्चारैः परीक्षणं ।। २२३.

Their enjoyment and distribution of wealth shall be according to their deeds; their conduct must always be examined accordingly.

ग्रामे दोषान् समुत्पन्नान् ग्रामेशः प्रशमं नयेत् । अशक्तो दशपालस्य स तु गत्वा निवेदयेत् ।। २२३.

When faults arise in the village, the village head should resolve them; if unable, he must report them to the leader of ten households.

श्रुत्वापि दशपालोऽपि तत्र युक्तिमुपाचरेत् । वित्ताद्याप्नोति राजा वै विष्यात्तु सुरक्षइतात् ।। २२३.

Hearing this, the leader of ten households should act with proper means; the king receives wealth and other dues from the district, and thus ensures its protection.

धनवान्धर्म्ममाप्नोति धनवान् काममश्नुते । उच्छिद्यन्ते विना ह्यर्थै१ क्रिया ग्रीष्मे सरिद्यथा ।। २२३.

The wealthy obtain righteousness, and the wealthy enjoy desires; without resources, actions cease, just as rivers dry up in summer.

विशेषो नास्ति लोकेषु पतितस्याधनस्य च । पतितान्न तु गृह्णन्ति दरिद्रो न प्रयच्छति ।। २२३.

There is no distinction in the world between one who has fallen and one who is destitute; people do not accept from the fallen, nor does the poor man give.

राष्ट्रपीडाकरो राजा नरके वसते चिरं ।। २२३.

A king who oppresses his realm dwells long in hell.

किं यज्ञैस्तपसा तस्य प्रजा यस्य न रक्षिताः । सुरक्षिताः प्रचजा यस्य स्वर्गस्तस्य गृहोपमः ।। २२३.

What use are sacrifices or austerities for one whose subjects are not protected? For him whose subjects are well protected, heaven is like his own home.

अरक्षिताः प्र्जा यस्य नरकं तस्य मन्दिरं । राजा षड्‌बागमादत्ते सुकृताद्‌दुष्कृतादपि ।। २२२.

For him whose subjects are unprotected, his palace is like hell; the king takes a sixth share from both good and evil deeds.

धर्म्मागमो रक्षणाच्च पापाप्नोत्यरक्षणात् । सुभगा विटभीतेव राजवल्लभतस्करैः ।। २२२.

By protecting, righteousness is attained; by failing to protect, sin is incurred. The fortunate woman, like a courtesan, is subject to the king, his favorites, and thieves.

निधिंद्विजात्तमः प्राप्य गृह्णीयात्सकलं तथा ।। २२२.

Having found a treasure, the best of twice-born should take it all accordingly.

चतुर्थमष्टमं भागं तथा षोडशमं द्विजः । वर्णकमेण दद्याच्च निधिं पात्रे तु धर्म्मतः ।। २२२.

A twice-born should give a fourth, an eighth, or a sixteenth part, according to caste, and bestow the treasure righteously to a worthy recipient.

अनृतन्तु वदन् दण्ड्यः७ सुवित्तस्यांशमष्टमं । प्रणष्टस्वामिकमृक्‌थं राजा त्र्यव्दं निधापयेत् ।। २२२.

One who speaks falsely is to be fined an eighth part of the wealth; if the owner of the lost property is not found, the king should keep it for three years.

अर्वाक्‌ त्र्यब्दाद्धरेत्‌स्वामी परेण नृपतिर्हरेत् । ममेदमितिया ब्रूयात् सोऽर्थयुक्तो यथाविधि ।। २२२.

If the owner claims it within three years, he should receive it; after that, the king shall take it. The claimant must declare, 'This is mine,' with proper justification.

सम्पाद्य रूपसङ्ख्यादोन् स्वामी तद्‌ द्रव्यमर्हति । बालदायादिकमृक्थं८ तावद्राजानुपालपेत् ।। २२२.

When the owner presents the form and count, he deserves the property; property belonging to minors and heirs should be protected by the king until then.