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
Entering back into the mother’s womb, ascending the funeral pyre (citā), the falling of Śakra’s (Indra’s) banner, and the eclipse-like “falling” of the Moon and the Sun—these are reckoned as ominous portents.
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.