Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 18
Chapter 231 — शकुनानि (Śakunāni) | Omens in Governance, Travel, and War
सोपानत्कमुखो धन्यो मांसपूर्णमुखो ऽपि च अमङ्गल्यमुखद्रव्यं केशञ्चैवाशुभं तथा
sopānatkamukho dhanyo māṃsapūrṇamukho 'pi ca amaṅgalyamukhadravyaṃ keśañcaivāśubhaṃ tathā
Aquel cuya boca (al ser visto) aparece junto a una sandalia en el umbral es tenido por auspicioso; asimismo, aquel cuya boca está llena de carne también se considera auspicioso. Pero las sustancias que, vistas en la boca, indican mal agüero, y también el cabello, son inauspiciosas.
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogic frame)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मांसपूर्णमुखो ऽपि = मांसपूर्णमुखः + अपि; केशञ्चैवाशुभम् = केशम् + च + एव + अशुभम्.
FAQs
It gives nimitta-śāstra style guidance: how to judge immediate auspiciousness or inauspiciousness based on what is first seen at the ‘front/mouth’ (mukha) during an encounter—some items are शुभ (favorable), while hair and certain inauspicious substances are अशुभ.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical cultural knowledge—ritual etiquette and omen-reading used in daily life and worship—showing its wide scope across dharma, rites, and applied traditional sciences.
Following auspicious signs and avoiding inauspicious ones is presented as supporting ritual purity and favorable outcomes, helping a practitioner align actions with śubha-kāla/śubha-nimitta and reduce obstacles in religious undertakings.