Agni Purana

काकशङ्की भवेन्नित्यमज्ञातां वसतिं वसेत्। नापरीक्षितपूर्वञ्च भोजनं शयनं स्पृशेत् ।। २२५.

He should always be as wary as a crow, dwell in unknown places, and never touch food or a bed that has not been previously examined.

नाविज्ञातां स्त्रियं गच्छेन्नाज्ञातां नावमारुहेत् । राष्ट्रकर्षी भ्रस्यते चराज्यार्थाच्चैव जीवितात् ।। २२५.

He should not approach a woman he does not know, nor board a boat that is unfamiliar; a king who acts recklessly loses both his kingdom and his life.

भृतो वत्सो जातबलः कर्मयोग्यो यथा भवेत् । तथा राष्ट्रं महाभाग भृतं कर्मसहं भवेत् ।। २२५.

Just as a calf, once grown, becomes fit for work, so too, O great one, a well-supported kingdom becomes capable of action.

सर्वं कर्मेदमायत्तं विधाने दैवपौरुषे । तयोर्दैवचचिन्त्यं हि पौरुषे विद्यते क्रिया ।। २२५.

All action depends on both destiny and human effort; of these, destiny is to be contemplated, but action lies in human effort.

पुष्कर उवाच स्वमेव कर्म दैवाख्यं विद्धि देहान्तराजितं । तस्मात् पौरुषमेवेह श्रेष्ठमाहुर्मनीषिणः ।। २२६.

Pushkara said: Know that what is called destiny is simply one's own karma carried over from another body; therefore, wise men say that human effort is supreme in this world.

प्रतिकूलं तथा दैवं पौरुषेण विहन्यते । सात्त्विकात् कर्म्मणः पूर्वात् सिद्धिः स्यात्पौरुषं विना ।। २२६.

Even adverse destiny is overcome by human effort; but success from virtuous deeds in the past can occur even without present effort.

पौरुषं दैवसम्पत्त्या काले फलति भार्गव । दैवं पुरुषकारश्च द्वयं पुंसः फलावहं ।। २२६.

Human effort bears fruit when joined with the wealth of destiny, O Bhargava; both destiny and personal endeavor bring results for a person.

कृषेर्वृष्टिसमायोगात् काले स्युः फलसिद्धयः । सधर्म्मं पौरुषं कुर्यान्नालसो न च दैववान् ।। २२६.

Just as crops yield fruit at the right time through the union of rain, so one should act in accordance with duty, being neither lazy nor relying solely on destiny.

सामादिभिरुपायैस्तु सर्वे सिद्ध्यन्त्युपक्रमाः । साम चोपप्रदानञ्च चभेददण्डौ तथापरौ ।। २२६.

All undertakings succeed through means such as conciliation and others; conciliation, giving gifts, sowing dissension, and punishment are the four main strategies.

मायोपेक्षेन्द्रजालञ्च उपायाः सप्त ताञ्च्छृणु । द्विविधं काथितं साम तथ्यञ्चातत्यमेव च ।। २२६.

Listen: the means are seven—conciliation, gifts, dissension, punishment, deception, neglect, and illusion; conciliation is said to be of two kinds: truthful and unceasing.

तत्राप्यतथ्यं साधूनामाक्रोशायैव जायते । महाकुलीना ह्यृजवो धर्मनित्या जितेन्द्रियाः ।। २२६.

Of these, untruthful conciliation is used only to rebuke the wicked; but those of noble lineage, upright, steadfast in dharma, and self-controlled—

सामसाध्या अतथ्यैश्च गृह्यन्ते राक्षसा अपि । तथा तदुपकाराणां कृतानाञ्चैव वर्णनं ।। २२६.

Even demons are won over by truthful conciliation; thus is described the benefit of such actions.

आत्मीयान् दर्शयेदाशां येन दोषेण बिभ्यति । परास्तेनैव ते भेद्या रक्ष्यो वै ज्ञातिभेदकः ।। २२६.

He should reveal hope to his own people by the very fault they fear; by that same means, outsiders are divided, but one must guard against those who sow discord among kin.

अन्तःकोषञ्चोपशाम्यं कुर्वन् शत्रोश्च तं जयेत् ।। २२६.

By calming the inner circle and doing so, one conquers the enemy.

उपायश्रेष्ठं दानं स्याद्दानादुभयलोकभाक् । न सोऽस्ति नाम दानेन वशगो यो न जायते ।। २२६.

The highest means is giving; by giving, one enjoys both worlds. There is no one who cannot be brought under control by generosity.

दानवानेव शक्नोति संहतान् भेदितुं परान् । त्रयासाध्यं साधयेत्तं दण्डेन च कृतेन च ।। २२६.

Only one who gives can break apart united foes; what cannot be accomplished by three, he achieves by punishment and by action.

दण्डे सर्वं स्थितं दण्डो नाशयेद् दुष्प्रणीकृतः । अदण्ड्यान् दण्डयन्नस्येद्दण्ड्यान् राजाप्यदण्डयन् ।। २२६.

Everything rests on punishment; punishment, if misapplied, destroys all. A king who punishes the innocent or fails to punish the guilty is ruined.

देवदैत्योरगनराः सिद्धा भूताः पतत्रिणः । उत्क्रमेयुः स्वमर्यादां यदि दण्डान् न पालयेत् ।। २२६.

Gods, demons, serpents, men, siddhas, spirits, and birds would transgress their bounds if punishment were not upheld.

यस्माददान्तान् दमयत्यदण्ड्यान्दण्डयत्यपि । दमनाद्दम्डनाच्चैव तस्माद्दण्डं विदुर्बुधाः ।। २२६.

Because he restrains the unrestrained and punishes even the unpunishable, and through restraint and punishment, the wise know him as Punishment.

तेजसा दुर्न्निरीक्ष्यो हि राजा भास्करवत्ततः। लोकप्रसादं गच्छेत दर्शनाच्चन्द्रवत्ततः ।। २२६.

By his brilliance, the king is hard to gaze upon, like the sun; by his appearance, he brings delight to the world, like the moon.

जगद्व्याप्नोति वै चारैरतो राजा समीरणः । दोषनिग्रहकारित्वाद्राजा वैवस्वतः प्रभुः ।। २२६.

He pervades the world through his spies, thus the king is like the wind; by suppressing faults, the king is the lord Vaivasvata.

यदा दहति दुर्बुद्धिं तदा भवति पावकः । यदा दानं द्विजातिभ्या दद्यात् तस्माद्धनेश्वरः ।। २२६.

When he burns the wicked-minded, he is like fire; when he gives gifts to the twice-born, he is the lord of wealth.

धनधाराप्रवर्षित्वाद्देवादौ वरुणः स्मृतः । क्षमया धारयंल्लोकान् पार्यिवः पार्थिवो भवेत् ।। २२६.

Because he pours forth streams of wealth, he is called Varuṇa among the gods; by sustaining the worlds with patience, the king becomes like Parjanya.

पुष्कर उवाच दण्डप्रणयनं वक्ष्ये येन राज्ञः परा गतिः । त्रियवं कृष्णलं विद्धि माषस्तत्‌पञ्चकं भवेत् ।। २२७.

Puṣkara said: I will explain the imposition of punishment, by which the king attains the highest goal. Know that three barley grains equal one krishnala, and five of those make one māṣa.

कृष्णलानां तथा षष्ट्या१ कर्षार्द्धं राम कीर्त्तितं । सुवर्णश्च विनिर्द्दिष्टो राम षोडशमाषकः ।। २२७.

Sixty krishnalas are said, O Rāma, to make half a karṣa; and a suvarṇa is defined, O Rāma, as sixteen māṣas.

निष्कः सुवर्णाश्चत्वारो धरणं दशभिस्तु तैः । ताम्ररूप्यसुवर्णानां मानमेतत् प्रकीर्त्तिंतं ।। २२७.

A niṣka is four suvarṇas, and ten of those make a dharaṇa; this is the measure established for copper, silver, and gold.

मध्यमः पञ्च विज्ञेयः सहस्रमपि चोत्तम । चौरैरमूषितो यस्तु मूषितोऽस्मीति भाषते ।। २२७.

The middle penalty is five, and the highest is a thousand. If someone is robbed by thieves and says, 'I have been robbed,'

तत्‌प्रदातरि भूपाले स दण्ड्यस्तावदेव तु । यो यावद्विपरीतार्थं मिथ्या वा यो वदेत्तु तं ।। २२७.

If the king restores it to him, he is to be fined accordingly. But whoever speaks falsely or with contrary intent,

कूटसाक्ष्यन्तु कुर्वाणांस्त्रीन् वर्णांश्च प्रदापयेत् ।। २२७.

Should be made to pay three times the amount, as should those who give false testimony.