Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 18
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
सर्वे ऽन्ये च वनेचरा इति झ हंषाश् च मृगमार्जारनकुलर्क्षभुजङ्गमाः वृकारिसिंहव्याघ्रोष्ट्रग्रामशूकरमानुषाः
sarve 'nye ca vanecarā iti jha haṃṣāś ca mṛgamārjāranakularkṣabhujaṅgamāḥ vṛkārisiṃhavyāghroṣṭragrāmaśūkaramānuṣāḥ
অন্য সকলকেও ‘বনচর’ বলা হয়েছে; এবং (এদের মধ্যে) হাঁস, হরিণ, বিড়াল, নেউল, ভালুক, সাপ, নেকড়ে, হিংস্র শত্রুপ্রাণী, সিংহ, বাঘ, উট, গ্রাম্য পশু, শূকর ও মানুষও উল্লেখিত।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Using afterlife/pretaloka imagery and creature-categories to teach karmic consequence and moral restraint; also functions as a classificatory catalogue of beings in liminal realms.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vane-cara & mixed beings in Naraka/Pretaloka description","lookup_keywords":["narakavarṇana","pretaloka","vane-cara","mṛga","bhujanga"],"quick_summary":"Catalogues forest-dwellers and various beings (birds, beasts, serpents, humans) within the narrative frame of afterlife cosmography, reinforcing the vastness and terror of karmic realms."}
Alamkara Type: Anukrama (enumerative listing)
Concept: Karmic consequence is portrayed through terrifying, crowded realms populated by many classes of beings.
Application: Cultivate ahiṃsā, satya, and restraint; use the imagery as a meditation on consequences before harmful acts.
Khanda Section: Narakavarṇana / Pretaloka-vidhi (Afterlife cosmography and karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Cosmic realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dark forested otherworld where many creatures—haṃsa birds, deer, cats, mongooses, bears, serpents, wolves, lions, tigers, camels, pigs—move among fearful human figures, suggesting a karmic wilderness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic Pretaloka forest, layered animals in stylized rows, dark greens and reds, expressive eyes, humans in simple garments, ominous atmosphere.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, framed cosmological panel of Naraka-forest, gold borders, clustered animals and humans, strong icon-like composition, luminous highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic cosmography scene, neatly arranged animal groups with captions, subdued tones, emphasis on classification and clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, dense naturalistic menagerie in a shadowed grove, fine detailing of fur and scales, humans interspersed, narrative marginalia feel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Raga Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarve 'nye = sarve + anye (avagraha). vanecarāḥ = vane + carāḥ. Large lists treated as Dvandva compounds. The segment 'jha' appears as a textual/onomatopoetic or corrupt reading; kept as indeclinable token.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 230 (Naraka/Pretaloka portion)
FAQs
This verse imparts classificatory knowledge used in Naraka/afterlife narration—an enumerative taxonomy of beings (wild, domestic, and human) appearing in the described realm, supporting the text’s systematic mapping of karmic environments.
By listing multiple categories of creatures in a compact, technical enumeration, it demonstrates the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic style—cataloguing cosmography, zoological groupings, and realm-descriptions as reference material alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and aesthetics in other chapters.
The verse underscores that karmic realms are populated by varied forms of life; the implicit teaching is vigilance in dharma, since actions are linked to experiences in environments characterized by fear, predation, and mixed embodiments.