Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 6
Chapter 228 — स्वप्नाध्यायः
Svapnādhāyaḥ / Chapter on Dreams
मातुः प्रवेशो जठरे चितारोहणमेव च शक्रध्वजाभिपतनं पतनं शशिसूर्ययोः
mātuḥ praveśo jaṭhare citārohaṇameva ca śakradhvajābhipatanaṃ patanaṃ śaśisūryayoḥ
মাতৃগর্ভে পুনঃ প্রবেশ, চিতায় আরোহণ, শক্রধ্বজ (ইন্দ্রধ্বজ) পতন, এবং চন্দ্র-সূর্যের পতন (গ্রহণলক্ষণ)—এগুলি অশুভ উৎপাত-লক্ষণরূপে গণ্য।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Recognizing ominous portents (utpāta/nimitta) for risk assessment in statecraft, ritual timing, and communal response (śānti rites, postponement of undertakings).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Utpāta-lakṣaṇa: womb-reentry, pyre-ascent, Indra-banner fall, solar/lunar ‘fall’ (eclipse/portent)","lookup_keywords":["utpāta","nimitta","śakradhvaja","sūrya-śaśi patana","citārohaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates major portents: impossible/reversal events (re-entering womb), death-signs (mounting the pyre), political-religious omen (Indra’s banner falling), and celestial calamity (sun/moon ‘falling’—eclipse-like)."}
Concept: Nimitta-jñāna: interpreting anomalies in body, society, and sky as signals requiring śānti and restraint.
Application: On observing such portents, suspend major rites/ventures, consult jyotiṣa/nimitta experts, and perform pacificatory rites (śānti, homa, dāna) per tradition.
Khanda Section: Nimitta-śāstra / Utpāta-lakṣaṇa (Omens and Portents)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic omen montage: a surreal image of a fetus-like return to the womb (symbolic), a person climbing onto a funeral pyre, a tall Indra-banner/standard collapsing, and the sun and moon darkened as in eclipse—watched by anxious townsfolk and priests.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, high-contrast dramatic sky, eclipsed sun and moon, fallen dhvaja standard near a temple/royal gate, priests performing śānti gestures, symbolic vignette of citārohaṇa, stylized crowd with expressive eyes, ornate border","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central eclipsed sun-moon with gold halo work, Indra’s banner falling with embossed gold, priests with lamps and vessels, dramatic but formal composition, rich reds and blacks","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional omen panels: (1) womb-reentry symbol, (2) pyre ascent, (3) banner fall, (4) eclipse; clean captions, subdued palette, emphasis on clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, cityscape with a royal standard collapsing, courtiers alarmed, astrologers pointing to an eclipsed sky, separate vignette of cremation ground scene; fine architectural detail and night-sky wash"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चितारोहणमेव → चिता-आरोहणम् + एव (म् + ए → मे); शक्रध्वजाभिपतनं → शक्र-ध्वज-अभिपतनम् (समास); शशिसूर्ययोः → शशि + सूर्य (द्वन्द्व-समास).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: utpāta-lakṣaṇa and grahaṇa/śānti-related passages (recensional chapter numbers vary)
FAQs
It lists specific utpātas (inauspicious portents)—abnormal rebirth imagery, funerary-pyre imagery, collapse of Indra’s standard, and solar/lunar obscuration—used in nimitta-śāstra to judge impending calamity and to prompt appeasement rites.
By cataloging omen-taxonomies that intersect ritual practice, statecraft (public standards/ensigns), and Jyotiṣa-style celestial phenomena, it shows the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium approach to practical prognostics alongside theology.
Such portents are treated as warnings of collective or personal adharma; recognizing them is meant to trigger corrective action—repentance, charity, and śānti/appeasement rites—to mitigate suffering and restore auspicious order.