Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 2
Chapter 363: नृब्रह्मक्षत्रविट्शूद्रवर्गाः
Groups of terms for Men, Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras
कान्तार्थिनी तु या याति सङ्केतं साभिसारिका कुलटा पुंश् चल्यसती नग्निका स्त्री च कोटवी
kāntārthinī tu yā yāti saṅketaṃ sābhisārikā kulaṭā puṃś calyasatī nagnikā strī ca koṭavī
जो स्त्री अपने कान्त के लिए आकुल होकर पूर्वनियत संकेत-स्थल पर जाती है, वह ‘अभिसारिका’ कहलाती है। वही ‘कुलटा’, ‘पुंश्चली’, ‘असती’ भी कही जाती है; और कुछ प्रयोगों में ‘नग्निका’ तथा ‘कोटवी’ भी।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the encyclopedic lexicon/poetics portion)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"For poets, dramaturges, and commentators: correct technical naming of nāyikā-bheda (heroine-types) and their synonymic labels to craft/interpret scenes of love-in-separation and tryst narratives.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Abhisārikā (nāyikā-bheda) and its synonym set","lookup_keywords":["abhisārikā","saṅketa","kulaṭā","puṃścalī","asatī"],"quick_summary":"Defines the abhisārikā—she who goes to a prearranged tryst out of longing—and lists alternate labels used in certain registers, supporting accurate rasa-creation and lexicographic identification."}
Concept: Technical vocabulary governs aesthetic cognition (rasa-niṣpatti): naming a type fixes expected behavior, mood, and scene-logic.
Application: In kāvya/nāṭya composition, label the heroine correctly to cue costume, movement, time-of-night, and emotional register.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Lexicography / Synonyms and technical definitions in poetics)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A love-struck woman slips at night toward a trysting grove/meeting spot (saṅketa), embodying the abhisārikā type; the verse frames her technical designation and synonyms.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, moonlit night with deep blues, heroine in traditional ornaments moving toward a grove pavilion, subtle expression of longing, stylized trees and lamp, caption-like band naming ‘abhisārikā’","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, richly adorned heroine with gold work, holding a lamp or veil, stepping toward a decorated garden mandapa, gold-leaf highlights on jewelry and borders, romantic yet formal composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative clarity: heroine walking to a marked ‘saṅketa’ spot, fine facial expression, soft palette, minimal background with clear labels for character-type","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, nocturnal garden with pavilion, heroine escorted by a confidante, detailed flora, delicate lighting, refined courtly romance atmosphere"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major sandhi beyond simple word junctions; 'puṃś' reflects nominative singular of pumān; 'callyasatī' treated as compound calya+satī (reading uncertain).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya/Alamkara sections on nāyikā-bheda and rasa (nearby chapters in the 330s–340s corpus depending on recension); Agni Purana lexicographic vargas on women/social terms (ch. 363 continuation)
FAQs
It imparts sahitya-shastra/nighaṇṭu knowledge: technical labels and near-synonyms for the poetic/lexicographic category ‘abhīsārikā’—a woman who goes to a tryst—used in Sanskrit literature.
Alongside ritual, polity, and medicine, the Agni Purana also preserves kavya-usage and dictionary-style classifications; this verse functions like a glossary entry, mapping one concept (abhīsārikā) to multiple synonyms used by poets and commentators.
The verse is primarily descriptive and lexicographic rather than prescriptive; its significance lies in correct understanding of moral/behavioral categories as referenced in dharma and poetic discourse, aiding accurate interpretation of texts.