Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 32
Chapter 231 — शकुनानि (Śakunāni) | Omens in Governance, Travel, and War
ग्रामे व्रजति नागश्चेन् मैथुनं देशहा भवेत् प्रसूता नागवनिता मत्ता चान्ताय भूपतेः
grāme vrajati nāgaścen maithunaṃ deśahā bhavet prasūtā nāgavanitā mattā cāntāya bhūpateḥ
象が村に入るなら、国土が荒廃する兆しである。交尾のさなかであれば、領土喪失を示す。産後まもない雌象、またはムスト（musth）の象は、王の終末（死・滅亡）を告げる前兆である。
Lord Agni (Agni Purana’s primary narrator, instructing a sage interlocutor in the nimitta/śakuna sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Royal risk management through interpreting elephant-related portents affecting territory, public order, and the king’s personal safety.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Gaja-śakuna for kings: village-entry, mating, calving, and musth as portents","lookup_keywords":["gaja-śakuna","rāja-dharma","grāma-praveśa","maithuna","mattatā"],"quick_summary":"Elephant omens are read politically: village-entry signals devastation; mating signals territorial loss; a recently-calved she-elephant or a musth elephant signals the king’s end."}
Weapon Type: Elephant corps (gaja-senā)
Concept: Rājadharma includes vigilance to nimittas that signal collective harm and the ruler’s vulnerability.
Application: Increase patrols, secure borders, perform appeasement rites per court custom, and review succession/defense readiness when such omens arise.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Shakuna-Śāstra (Omens and portents for kings)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A large elephant enters a village street; separate vignettes show elephants mating, a she-elephant with a newborn calf, and a musth elephant—court astrologers/omen-readers warn the king of impending ruin.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic elephant forms with stylized eyes, village huts and temple lamp, omen-readers with palm-leaf texts, king under parasol receiving warning, bold reds/ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold work on royal throne and ornaments, elephant entering village gate, inset panels of mating, calving, and musth, rich decorative borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative sequence in four registers (entry, mating, calving, musth), court scholars pointing to each as a labeled portent, refined pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling village scene with elephant intrusion, detailed animal anatomy, courtiers and guards reacting, separate small cartouches for mating/calving/musth, fine architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नागश्चेत् = नागः + चेत्; चान्ताय = च + अन्ताय
Related Themes: Agni Purana 231 (Rājadharma śakuna materials)
FAQs
Śakuna/Nimitta-vidyā: interpreting elephant behavior and appearances (entering a village, mating, post-calving, musth) as specific political and life-threatening omens for a kingdom and its ruler.
It preserves a practical branch of traditional knowledge—statecraft-linked omenology—used for forecasting public calamity, territorial loss, and royal danger, alongside the Purana’s many other domains (ritual, law, polity, medicine, and arts).
As an inauspicious nimitta, it functions as a warning sign prompting the king to undertake protective measures (śānti, restraint, vigilance, and dharmic governance) to avert impending harm and mitigate negative karmic outcomes.