The Agni Purana

by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596

This page describes Construction of Forts which is chapter 222 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.

Chapter 222 - Construction of Forts

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Puṣkara said:

1-2. I shall describe the excellent fortification. The king should reside in the fort. It should abound with the traders and servants and sparsely with others. It should have few brahmins and plenty of artisans. A country not depending on rain-water and having plenty of water (for cultivation) is commended.

3. It should not be vulnerable for attack by others and should abound with flowers, fruits and grains. It should be impassable by foreign army and should be free from rogues and thieves.

4-5. The mighty king should build one of the following types of forts and live there. O Bhārgava (son of Bhṛgu; Paraśurāma)! Fort guarded by archers, land, men, forest, water and hill (are the six kinds of forts). The excellent among these (forts) would be the fort protected by the hill. It is indestructible and it destroys others.

6. Such a fort should have the market place, temple and other things. A fort furnished with weapons and implements and surrounded by water is an excellent one.

7-9. I shall describe the means of protecting the king. The king has to be saved from poison. The śirīṣa well ground with (cow’s) urine, (known as) pañcāṅga destroys poison. Śatāvarī, chinnaruhā, viṣaghnī, taṇḍulīyaka, kośātakī, kalhārī, brāhmī, citrapaṭolikā, maṇḍūkaparṇī, vārāhī, dhātrī, ānandakaṃ [ānandaka?], unmādinī, somarājī and the gemstone destroying poison (are the antidotes for poison).

10. Residing in the fort possessing the characteristics of a dwelling place, (the king) should propitiate gods. (He) should protect the subjects, conquer the wicked and make gifts.

11. (The king) who takes away the articles (dedicated to) the god would dwell in hell for a kalpa (period). The king being devoted to the worship of gods should erect temples.

12-13. The temples should be protected and (images of) deities should be installed. A wooden one is meritorious than the earthen one, one made of bricks than the wooden one. One made of stone is meritorious than that of the (image) made of brick. One made of gold and gems (is meritorious) than that of the stone one. Even by the construction of a temple sportively one would get enjoyment and emancipation.

14. One who donates paintings, musical instruments and (arranges for) dramatic performances to be seen and who anoints the deity with oil, clarified butter, honey, milk and other things would go to heaven.

15-18. The king should worship and protect the brahmins. He should not take away the belongings of a brahmin. (The king) would reach hell and remain there till the inundation of beings (deluge) by taking away (a piece of) gold, a cow or an aṅgula breadth of a thumb) measure of land (from a brahmin). There is no other sin greater than the killing of a brahmin. The brahmins would make non-divine into divine and divine into non-divine. Brahmins are the most fortunate ones. They should always be respected. A brahmin woman who weeps would destroy the family, kingdom and subjects (of a king).

19-23. A righteous king should protect the chaste women. The women should engage happily and efficiently in the cores of household work. (She should be) decorating well the household articles and be frugal in her expenses. She should always do service to her husband to whom her father has given her (in marriage). The lady practising continence after the death of the husband goes to heaven. She should not have the desire (to live) in other’s house and should not be quarrelsome. A widow as well as the wife of a man who has gone abroad, should not decorate her person. She should always be bent on the worship of god and the welfare of the husband. (A woman whose husband has gone abroad) should wear some ornaments for the welfare (of the husband). The woman (widow) who enters the (funeral) fire along with the (dead) husband would also reach heaven. (A householder) should worship the goddess of fortune and do the cleansing of the house etc. (He should worship lord) Viṣṇu on the twelfth day of kārttika and then make a gift of a cow together with a calf. Her husband was saved by Sāvitrī (wife of Satyavān, king of Sālva) by practising truthfulness and good conduct. There need not be any doubt that a woman would have children by the worship of the Sun on the seventh day in the bright (fortnight) in (the month of) mārgaśīrṣa.

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