Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 28
Utpāta-śānti
Pacification of Portents
प्रदोषे कुक्कुटो वासे शिवा चार्कोदये भवेत् गृहङ्कपोतः प्रविशेत् क्रव्याहा मूर्ध्नि लीयते
pradoṣe kukkuṭo vāse śivā cārkodaye bhavet gṛhaṅkapotaḥ praviśet kravyāhā mūrdhni līyate
If a cock crows at dusk within the dwelling, or a jackal howls at sunrise, these are taken as omens. If a pigeon enters the house, or a flesh-eating bird settles upon one’s head, these too are regarded as inauspicious portents.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Household risk-avoidance: recognize specific time-bound animal/bird behaviors (dusk/dawn intrusions) as inauspicious portents prompting caution and protective rites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Gṛha-utpāta: kṛkavāku/pradoṣa, śivā/arkodaya, kapota-praveśa, kravyādha-śirasi","lookup_keywords":["pradoṣa-kukkuṭa","arkodaya-śivā","kapota-praveśa","kravyād","gṛha-utpāta"],"quick_summary":"A cock crowing at dusk indoors, a jackal howling at sunrise, a pigeon entering the house, or a flesh-eating bird alighting on one’s head are treated as inauspicious household portents. The practical response is heightened caution and remedial śānti."}
Concept: Liminal-time sensitivity (sandhyā/pradoṣa/arkodaya) in omen interpretation; anomalies at thresholds are meaningful.
Application: Avoid risky travel/transactions immediately after such signs; perform household śānti, increase vigilance, and attend to safety.
Khanda Section: Nimitta-shastra (Shakuna & Utpata Lakshana) — Omens and portents
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Home/Settlement
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A house at dusk with a cock crowing indoors; at sunrise a jackal howls outside; a pigeon flies into the room; a carrion bird perches on a person’s head as onlookers recoil.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split-time composition—left pradoṣa interior with cock, right sunrise with jackal; central house with pigeon entering; stylized kravyād bird perched, expressive faces, ominous reds/browns.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate domestic interior with gold accents; symbolic depiction of dusk and dawn; pigeon mid-flight; dramatic kravyād bird; protective lamps and ritual vessels hinting at śānti.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean illustrative panels labeled pradoṣa/arkodaya; each omen shown distinctly; instructional, calm linework despite ominous content.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed courtyard and interior, realistic birds/animals, nuanced lighting for dusk and dawn, figures reacting with restrained alarm."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चार्कोदये = च + अर्कोदये (स्वर-सन्धिः: अ + अ → आ). गृहङ्कपोतः = गृह + अङ्क + कपोतः (गृह + अङ्क → गृहाङ्क; लेखने 'गृहङ्क').
Related Themes: Agni Purana—Nimitta/Śakuna catalogues of gṛha-utpāta; Agni Purana—Śānti/prāyaścitta style remedies in adjacent material
FAQs
It teaches Nimitta-Śāstra (Śakuna-vidyā): how specific animal behaviors at particular times (dusk/sunrise) and locations (inside the house/on the head) are read as omens, typically warning of misfortune and prompting caution or remedial rites.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana compiles practical knowledge systems; here it preserves a concise rule-set from omen-science used in daily life—time-based and place-based interpretations of signs—showing its coverage of Jyotiṣa-related applied disciplines.
Such omens are treated as signals of impending adversity arising from unseen causes (daiva/karmic ripening); recognizing them encourages restraint, vigilance, and performance of pacificatory actions (śānti) to reduce harm.