Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 16
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
खञ्जरीटकदात्यूहशुकराजीवकुक्कुटाः भारद्वाजश् च सारङ्ग इति ज्ञेया दिवाचराः
khañjarīṭakadātyūhaśukarājīvakukkuṭāḥ bhāradvājaś ca sāraṅga iti jñeyā divācarāḥ
Khañjarīṭa (wagtail), dātyūha (burung air), śuka (nuri), jīvaka, kukkuṭa (ayam jantan), burung bhāradvāja, dan sāraṅga—semuanya hendaknya dipahami sebagai burung yang beraktivitas pada siang hari.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Śakuna practice refined by temporal ecology: knowing which birds are divācara (diurnal) guides when their sightings are meaningful and how to weigh omens by time of day.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Divācara Birds (Day-roaming) for Śakuna Interpretation","lookup_keywords":["divācara","śakuna","khañjarīṭa","dātyūha","bharadvāja"],"quick_summary":"Identifies a set of birds as diurnal; omen-reading and observation should align with their natural active period for reliability."}
Concept: Kāla (time) as a condition for valid inference from signs; align interpretation with natural rhythms (svabhāva).
Application: In augury and observation, treat daytime sightings of divācara birds as primary data; unusual timing (e.g., diurnal bird at night) may be read as exceptional/stronger nimitta in later rules.
Khanda Section: Shakuna-shastra (Omens) / Prakriti-jnana (Natural history: classification of creatures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bright daytime scene with the listed birds active—wagtail near water, waterfowl on a pond, parrot in a tree, rooster in a yard, bharadvāja and sāraṅga in open fields—presented as a 'day-roaming' set.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural daylight palette; sun disc overhead; birds placed in their habitats (pond, grove, courtyard); a small caption band reading 'divācara'; bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold sun motif; central panel of a pond and grove; each bird highlighted in gold-bordered callouts; rich decorative frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic composition; labeled habitat zones (water/trees/courtyard/field) with each divācara bird placed accordingly; clean captions and gentle shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature pastoral daytime landscape; detailed birds in natural poses; a scholar notes 'divācara' in the margin; fine rendering of water and foliage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भारद्वाजश् = भारद्वाजः (विसर्ग-लोपः) च. समाहार-शैली: खञ्जरीटकदात्यूह… इत्यादि नामानि सन्धिना संयुक्तानि; पदच्छेदः सूची-रूपेण कृतः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 230 (likely contrasts with rātricara/nocturnal creatures in adjacent verses)
FAQs
It gives a technical classification used in Śakuna-śāstra: identifying specific birds as divācarāḥ (diurnal). This helps interpret omens based on which birds appear and when (day vs. night).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs applied knowledge such as divination and natural classification—here, a structured list of bird-types used for omen-reading, reflecting a compendium-style treatment of practical sciences.
Correctly recognizing diurnal birds supports accurate omen-interpretation and right timing of actions; acting with discernment (viveka) is presented in Purāṇic culture as reducing avoidable harm and aligning one’s conduct with auspicious order (śubha).