Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 32
Chapter 231 — शकुनानि (Śakunāni) | Omens in Governance, Travel, and War
ग्रामे व्रजति नागश्चेन् मैथुनं देशहा भवेत् प्रसूता नागवनिता मत्ता चान्ताय भूपतेः
grāme vrajati nāgaścen maithunaṃ deśahā bhavet prasūtā nāgavanitā mattā cāntāya bhūpateḥ
যদি হাতি গ্রামে প্রবেশ করে তবে দেশ-উজাড় বা ভূমিহানির লক্ষণ। যদি সে মৈথুনাবস্থায় থাকে তবে রাজ্যের অংশ হারানোর ইঙ্গিত। সদ্য প্রসূতা হাতিনী বা মত্ত হাতি—এগুলি রাজার অন্তের (বিনাশ/মৃত্যু) পূর্বলক্ষণ।
Lord Agni (Agni Purana’s primary narrator, instructing a sage interlocutor in the nimitta/śakuna sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Royal risk management through interpreting elephant-related portents affecting territory, public order, and the king’s personal safety.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Gaja-śakuna for kings: village-entry, mating, calving, and musth as portents","lookup_keywords":["gaja-śakuna","rāja-dharma","grāma-praveśa","maithuna","mattatā"],"quick_summary":"Elephant omens are read politically: village-entry signals devastation; mating signals territorial loss; a recently-calved she-elephant or a musth elephant signals the king’s end."}
Weapon Type: Elephant corps (gaja-senā)
Concept: Rājadharma includes vigilance to nimittas that signal collective harm and the ruler’s vulnerability.
Application: Increase patrols, secure borders, perform appeasement rites per court custom, and review succession/defense readiness when such omens arise.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Shakuna-Śāstra (Omens and portents for kings)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A large elephant enters a village street; separate vignettes show elephants mating, a she-elephant with a newborn calf, and a musth elephant—court astrologers/omen-readers warn the king of impending ruin.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic elephant forms with stylized eyes, village huts and temple lamp, omen-readers with palm-leaf texts, king under parasol receiving warning, bold reds/ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold work on royal throne and ornaments, elephant entering village gate, inset panels of mating, calving, and musth, rich decorative borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative sequence in four registers (entry, mating, calving, musth), court scholars pointing to each as a labeled portent, refined pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling village scene with elephant intrusion, detailed animal anatomy, courtiers and guards reacting, separate small cartouches for mating/calving/musth, fine architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नागश्चेत् = नागः + चेत्; चान्ताय = च + अन्ताय
Related Themes: Agni Purana 231 (Rājadharma śakuna materials)
FAQs
Śakuna/Nimitta-vidyā: interpreting elephant behavior and appearances (entering a village, mating, post-calving, musth) as specific political and life-threatening omens for a kingdom and its ruler.
It preserves a practical branch of traditional knowledge—statecraft-linked omenology—used for forecasting public calamity, territorial loss, and royal danger, alongside the Purana’s many other domains (ritual, law, polity, medicine, and arts).
As an inauspicious nimitta, it functions as a warning sign prompting the king to undertake protective measures (śānti, restraint, vigilance, and dharmic governance) to avert impending harm and mitigate negative karmic outcomes.