Agni Purana

उद्वेजयति भूतानि दण्डपारुष्यवान् नृपः । भूतान्युद्वेज्यमानानि द्विषतां यान्ति संश्रयं ।। २४१.

A king who is harsh in punishment disturbs all beings; when beings are disturbed, they seek refuge with the king’s enemies.

विवृद्धाः शत्रवश्चैव विनाशाय भवन्ति ते । दूष्यस्य दूषणार्थञ्च परित्यागो महीयसः ।। २४१.

When enemies grow strong, they bring about destruction; abandoning the corrupt for the sake of the great is proper.

अर्थस्य नीतितत्त्वज्ञैरर्थदूषणमुच्यते । पानात् कार्य्यादिनो ज्ञानं मृगयातोऽरितः ।। २४१.

The wise, knowing the principles of policy, call the corruption of wealth a vice; from drinking comes loss of judgment, from hunting, deviation from duty.

जितश्रमार्थं मृगयां विचरेद्रक्षिते वने । धर्म्मार्थप्राणनाशादि द्यूते स्यात् कलहादिकं ।। २४१.

To relieve fatigue, the king may hunt in the forest; but gambling leads to loss of righteousness, wealth, life, and to quarrels.

कालातिपातो धर्म्मार्थपीडा स्त्रीव्यसनाद्भ्वेत् । पानदोषात् प्राणनाशः कार्य्याकार्यविनिश्चयः ।। २४१.

Delay, harm to righteousness and wealth, arise from addiction to women; from the fault of drinking comes loss of life and confusion about right and wrong.

स्कन्धावारनिवेशज्ञो निमित्तज्ञो रिपुं जयेत् । स्कन्धावारस्य मध्ये तु सकोषं नृपतेर्गृहं ।। २४१.

One skilled in arranging camps and interpreting omens should defeat the enemy; the king’s residence, with the treasury, should be in the center of the camp.

मौलीभूतं श्रेणिसुहृद्‌द्विषदाटविकं बलं । राजहर्म्यं समावृत्य क्रमेण विनिवेशयेत् ।। २४१.

The main force—guildsmen, friends, enemies, and forest-dwellers—should be stationed in order, surrounding the royal palace.

सैन्यैकदेशः सन्नद्धः सेनापतिपुरःसरः । परिभ्रमेच्चत्वरांश्च मण्डलेन वहिर्न्निशि ।। २४१.

A section of the army, fully armed and led by the commander, should circle the crossroads at night in formation, moving around the perimeter.

वार्त्ताः स्वका विजानीयाद्दरसीमान्तचारिणः । निर्गच्छेत् प्रविशेच्चैव सर्व्व एवोपलक्षितः ।। २४१.

He should learn his own intelligence reports from those who move along the border; everyone who goes out and comes in must be carefully observed.

सामदानं च भेदश्च दण्डोपेक्षेन्द्रजालकं । मायोपायाः सप्त परे निक्षिपेत्साधनाय तान् ।। २४१.

Conciliation, gifts, division, punishment, neglect, illusion, and deceptive means—these seven strategies should be employed to accomplish objectives.

चतुर्विधं स्मृतं साम उपकारानुकीर्त्तनात् । मिथःसम्बन्धकथनं मृदुपूर्व्वं च भाषणं ।। २४१.

Conciliation is said to be fourfold: recounting past favors, speaking of mutual relationships, and gentle speech at the outset.

आयाते दर्शनं वाचा तवाहमिति चार्पणं । यः सम्प्राप्तधनोत्सर्ग उत्तमाधममध्यमः ।। २४१.

When someone arrives, he should be received with words and offerings such as, 'I am yours'; the giving up of acquired wealth is of three kinds: superior, inferior, and middling.

प्रतिदानं तदा तस्य गृहीतस्यानुमोदनं । द्रव्यदानमपूर्व्वं च स्वयङ्ग्राहप्रवर्त्तनं ।। २४१.

At that time, reciprocation is to be shown—approval of what is received, giving new gifts, and personally initiating the act of taking.

देयश्च चप्रतिमोक्षश्च दानं पञ्चविधं स्मृतं । स्नेहरागापनयनसंहर्षोत्पादनं तथा ।। २४१.

Giving, release from obligation, and donation are said to be fivefold: removing affection and attachment, and producing delight as well.

मिथो भेदश्च भेदज्ञैर्भेदश्च त्रिविधः स्मृतः । बधोऽर्थहरणं चैव परिक्लेशस्त्रिधा दमः ।। २४१.

Division, according to those skilled in it, is threefold: causing separation, taking away wealth, and inflicting distress—these are the three forms of punishment.

प्रकाशश्चाप्र्काशश्च लोकद्विष्टान् प्रकाशतः । उद्विजेत हतैर्ल्लोकस्तेषु पिण्डः प्रशस्यते ।। २४१.

Open and secret actions—those hated by the people should be dealt with openly; the people should be made to fear by executions, and in those cases, a reward is praised.

विशेषेणोपनिषद्योगैर्हन्याच्छस्त्रादिना द्विषः । जातिमात्रं द्विजं नैव हन्यात् सामोत्तरं वशे ।। २४१.

Especially, enemies should be killed by secret means or with weapons; but a twice-born should not be killed merely for his birth—he should be subdued through conciliation.

प्रलिम्पन्निव चेतांसि दृष्ट्वासाधु पिबन्निव । ग्रसन्निवामृतं साम प्रयुञ्जीत प्रियं वचः ।। २४१.

One should employ conciliatory words that seem to soothe the mind, as if anointing, as if drinking nectar, as if swallowing—always using pleasing speech.

मिथ्याभिशस्तः श्रीकाम आहूयाप्रतिमानितः । राजद्वेषी चातिकर आत्मसम्बावितस्तथा ।। २४१.

One who is falsely accused, desires prosperity, is summoned but not honored, hates the king, acts unlawfully, or is self-important—

विच्छिन्नधर्म्मकामार्थः क्रुद्धो मानी विमानितः । अकारणात् परित्यक्तः कृतवैरोऽपि सान्त्वितः ।। २४१.

One whose righteousness, desire, or wealth is cut off, who is angry, proud, insulted, abandoned without cause, or even one who has become an enemy—should be conciliated.

हृतद्र्व्यकलत्रश्च पूजार्होऽप्रतिपूजितः । एतांस्तु भेदयेच्छत्रौ स्थितान्नित्यान् सुशङ्कितान् ।। २४१.

One whose property or wife has been taken, who is worthy of honor but not honored—such people, always anxious, should be divided among the enemy.

आगतान् पूजयेत् कामैर्न्निजांश्च प्रशमन्नयेत् । सामदृष्टानुसन्धानमत्युग्रभयदर्शनं ।। २४१.

Those who have come should be honored with desired things, and one's own people should be calmed; the use of conciliation is to be observed, especially in situations of extreme fear.

प्रधानदानमानं च भेदोपायाः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । मित्रं हतं क्काष्ठमिव घुणजग्धं विशीर्य्यते ।। २४१.

The main forms of giving and honor, and the means of division, have been described; a friend who is destroyed, like wood eaten by worms, falls apart.

त्रिशक्तिर्द्देशकालज्ञो दण्डेनास्तं नयेदरीन् । मैत्रीप्रधानं कल्याणबुद्धिं सान्त्वेन साधयेत् ।। २४१.

One who knows the three powers, place, and time should subdue enemies with punishment; one who is friendly and of good intent should be won over with conciliation.

लुब्धं क्षीणञ्च चदानेन मित्रानन्योन्यशङ्कया । दण्डस्य दर्शनाद्‌दुष्टान् पुत्रभ्रातादि सामतः ।। २४१.

The greedy and the weakened should be won over with gifts; friends who are suspicious of each other, and the wicked—such as sons or brothers—should be restrained by the threat of punishment or by conciliation.

दानभेदैश्चमूमुख्यान् योधान् जनपदादिकान् । सामन्ताटविकान् भेददण्डाभ्यामपराद्धकान् ।। २४१.

By means of gifts and divisions, the chief commanders, warriors, and people of the land, as well as border chieftains and forest-dwellers, are to be influenced through division and punishment when they transgress.

देवताप्रतिमानान्तु पूजयान्तर्गतैर्न्नरैः । पुमान् स्त्रीवस्त्रसंवीतो निशि चाद्‌भुतदर्शनः ।। २४१.

Images of deities are to be worshipped by men concealed within, a man dressed in women's clothing appearing at night as a wondrous sight.

वेतालोल्कापिशाचानां शिवानां च स्वरूपिकी । कामतो रूपधारित्वं शस्त्रागन्यश्माम्बुवर्षणं ।। २४१.

The forms of vetālas, owls, piśācas, and Śiva may be assumed at will, along with the power to take on different shapes and to cause showers of weapons, fire, stones, and water.

तमोऽनिलोऽनलो मेव इति माया ह्यमानुषी। जघान कीचकं भीम आस्थितः स्त्रीस्वरूपतां ।। २४१.

Darkness, wind, fire, and illusion, which are not human, were used by Bhīma to slay Kīcaka, having assumed the form of a woman.