Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 15
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
सूतानामश्वसारथ्यं पुक्कसानाञ्च व्याधता स्तुतिक्रिया माघ्धानां तथा चायोगशस्य च
sūtānāmaśvasārathyaṃ pukkasānāñca vyādhatā stutikriyā māghdhānāṃ tathā cāyogaśasya ca
Pour les Sūtas, l’occupation est de conduire le char et de mener les chevaux. Pour les Pukkasas, c’est la chasse. Pour les Māgadhas, l’accomplissement d’éloges et de poésie panégyrique ; et de même pour l’Āyogaśava, une activité liée à la louange et au service.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Provides a roster of customary livelihoods: charioteering, hunting, panegyric/eulogy, and service—useful for understanding traditional role allocation and, specifically, the Māgadha’s link to praise-poetry and courtly proclamation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Occupations of Sūta, Pukkasa, Māgadha, Āyogaśava","lookup_keywords":["Sūta","aśva-sārathya","Pukkasa vyādha","Māgadha stuti","Āyogaśava"],"quick_summary":"Assigns standard professions to named groups: Sūtas drive horses/chariots, Pukkasas hunt, Māgadhās perform stuti (eulogy/praise), and Āyogaśavas engage in similar service/praise-linked work."}
Alamkara Type: Stuti (panegyric) as a genre-function; not a specific alaṅkāra figure
Weapon Type: Bow
Concept: Social order is articulated through karma-vibhāga (division of work), including royal service (sārathi), subsistence (vyādha), and cultural labor (stuti).
Application: Explains how courts and polities function: drivers support warfare/transport, hunters supply resources, bards preserve reputation and legitimacy through praise.
Khanda Section: Varna-jati-vyavastha (Social duties and occupational classifications)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fourfold occupational montage: a Sūta driving a chariot with horses; a Pukkasa hunter in forest with bow; a Māgadha bard reciting praise before a king with a vīṇā/drum; an Āyogaśava attendant performing service/praise near the court.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative strip with four scenes: chariot driver, forest hunter, bard singing stuti to a crowned king, court attendant; bold contours, rhythmic spacing, traditional earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central royal court with gold-leaf throne; foreground Māgadha bard singing praise, side vignettes of chariot driver and hunter, heavy ornamentation and rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional panels showing each profession with labeled tools (reins, bow, manuscript/instrument), fine linework, soft shading, didactic composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene with bard performing, musicians, and king; separate margins show hunter in a wooded landscape and charioteer with horses, intricate textiles and naturalistic animals."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सूतानामश्वसारथ्यं = सूतानाम् + अश्वसारथ्यम्; पुक्कसानाञ्च = पुक्कसानाम् + च; चायोगशस्य = च + अयोगशस्य.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 151 (occupational duties list continuing from prior verses)
FAQs
It assigns traditional occupational roles to specific communities—charioteering (horse-driving), hunting, and formal praise-recitation—presented as part of jātidharma (community-based duty).
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also catalogs social regulations and practical livelihoods; this verse is a compact register of occupational taxonomy found in Dharma-style material.
Within the Purāṇic dharma framework, adhering to one’s prescribed duty (svadharma/jātidharma) is treated as conduct that supports social order and is believed to generate merit through disciplined livelihood.