Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 23
Chapter 242 — पुरुषलक्षणं
Purusha-Lakshana): Marks of a Man (Physiognomy
पादौ गुल्फौ स्फिचौ पार्श्वौ वङ्क्षणौ वृषणौ कुचौ कर्णौष्ठे सक्थिनी जङ्घे हस्तौ बाहू तथाक्षिणी
pādau gulphau sphicau pārśvau vaṅkṣaṇau vṛṣaṇau kucau karṇauṣṭhe sakthinī jaṅghe hastau bāhū tathākṣiṇī
पाँव, गुल्फ (टखने), स्फिच (नितम्ब), पार्श्व (बगल/पार्श्वभाग), वङ्क्षण (जाँघ की जड़/ग्रोइन), वृषण, कुच (स्तन), कर्ण और ओष्ठ, सक्थि (जाँघ), जङ्घा (पिंडली), हस्त, बाहु तथा नेत्र।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Standardized bodily nomenclature for clinical examination, marma/anga identification, and descriptive diagnosis.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śarīra-aṅga-nāma (body-part nomenclature)","lookup_keywords":["śarīra","aṅga","gulfā","vaṅkṣaṇa","jaṅghā"],"quick_summary":"Lists key external body parts (limbs and organs) as terminology for anatomical description. Supports precise communication in diagnosis and treatment."}
Concept: Śarīra-jñāna as prerequisite for right action—healing, discipline, and self-knowledge.
Application: During parīkṣā (examination), localize symptoms by these terms; in instruction, teach students to map each term to palpation/inspection points.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Sharira (Anatomy and bodily nomenclature)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An instructional anatomy tableau: a teacher points to a standing figure, labeling feet, ankles, buttocks, flanks, groins, testes, breasts, ears, lips, thighs, shanks, hands, arms, and eyes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru teaching students, stylized human figure with labeled body parts in Sanskrit, palm-leaf manuscripts and herbal bundles nearby, didactic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central human figure with ornate border, gold-highlighted labels for aṅgas, teacher with manuscript, devotional-meets-instructional aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean diagrammatic labeling of each aṅga with fine lines, soft colors, emphasis on clarity and proportion.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature medical classroom, physician-teacher with students, a figure shown with calligraphic labels pointing to each body region, detailed textiles and instruments."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: karṇauṣṭhe = karṇau+oṣṭhe. tathākṣiṇī = tathā+akṣiṇī.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 242 (śarīra section); Agni Purana āyurveda passages on śarīra and roga-nidāna (nearby verses)
FAQs
It imparts śārīra (anatomical) terminology—standard Sanskrit names for bodily regions—useful for Ayurvedic diagnosis, description of injuries, and precise localization in treatment.
By cataloging anatomical vocabulary, the text functions like a reference manual, integrating medical and technical knowledge alongside ritual, dharma, and other disciplines—one hallmark of the Agni Purāṇa’s encyclopedic scope.
Accurate knowledge of the body supports disciplined living and correct conduct (dharma) by enabling proper care, restraint, and purification-oriented practices grounded in clear understanding of the embodied self.