Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 76
Bhūmi–Vana–Auṣadhi–Ādi Vargāḥ (भूमिवनौषध्यादिवर्गाः) — Lexical Groups on Earth, Settlements, Architecture, Forests, Materia Medica, and Fauna
केकी शिख्यस्य वाक्केका शकुन्तिशकुनिद्विजाः स्त्री पक्षतिः पक्षमूलञ्चञ्चुस्तोटिरुभे स्त्रियौ
kekī śikhyasya vākkekā śakuntiśakunidvijāḥ strī pakṣatiḥ pakṣamūlañcañcustoṭirubhe striyau
ময়ূরের নাম ‘কেকী’; তার ঝুঁটি ‘শিখা’; আর তার ডাক ‘কেকা’ বলা হয়। ‘শকুন্তি’ ও ‘শকুনি’ স্ত্রীলিঙ্গে ‘পাখি’ অর্থে ব্যবহৃত। ‘পক্ষতি’ মানে ডানা, এবং ‘পক্ষমূল’ ডানার মূল/ভিত্তি। ‘চঞ্চু’ ও ‘স্তোটি’—উভয়ই স্ত্রীলিঙ্গ—ঠোঁটের অর্থে।
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of the Agni Purana) addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Correct gender/usage and technical vocabulary for birds and their parts; supports accurate prose, poetry, and commentary.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Bird Terminology: Peacock, Crest, Cry, Wing, Beak (with Gender Notes)","lookup_keywords":["keki","shikha","keka","pakshati","cancu"],"quick_summary":"Defines key bird-terms and notes grammatical gender (notably feminine forms), aiding correct declension and precise description."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (phonetic echo in kekī/kekā)
Concept: Śabda-rūpa-niyama (gender/usage) as part of correct speech (sādhu-śabda).
Application: Apply correct gender (strīliṅga) and part-terms (pakṣati, caṅcu) in composition and scholastic explanation.
Khanda Section: Vyakarana / Kosha (Lexicography of Sanskrit synonyms and technical vocabulary)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A peacock displayed with highlighted crest and an open beak indicating its call; diagram-like labels for wing, wing-root, and beak terms with gender notes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style peacock with ornate tail, labeled parts: शिखा (crest), केका (cry), पक्षतिः (wing), पक्षमूल (wing-root), चञ्चुः/स्तोटिः (beak), with manuscript-style side notes ‘स्त्री’","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of a regal peacock with gold leaf accents on feathers, decorative label plaques naming kekī, śikhā, kekā, and anatomical terms, temple-like border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting technical illustration: peacock profile with arrows to crest, beak, wing, wing-root; clean Devanagari annotations and gender markers","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature naturalist study of a peacock, fine feather detail, marginalia in Devanagari listing terms kekī/śikhā/kekā and caṅcu/stoṭi"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वाक्केका → वाक् केका. शकुन्तिशकुनिद्विजाः → शकुन्तिः शकुनिः द्विजाः. पक्षमूलञ्चञ्चुः → पक्षमूलम् चञ्चुः. स्तोटिरुभे → तोटिः उभे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 362 (Kośa: grammatical notes and synonymy)
FAQs
It imparts lexical-grammatical knowledge (nighaṇṭu/kośa): precise Sanskrit terms and their gender/usage for bird-related anatomy and sounds (kekī, kekā, pakṣati, caṅcu, etc.).
By cataloging synonyms, word-forms, and grammatical gender, it functions like a compact dictionary inside the Purana—showing that the Agni Purana preserves not only theology and ritual, but also linguistic and scholarly reference material.
Its primary aim is educational rather than ritual; indirectly, mastering correct śabda (words) supports accurate recitation, learning, and transmission of dharma-texts, which traditional Hindu thought treats as meritorious (puṇya) through preservation of sacred knowledge.