Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 3

Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः

Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure

Devanagari script

स्यात् पुलाकस्तुच्छधान्ये संक्षेपे भक्तसिक्थके महेन्द्रगुग्गुलूलूकव्यालग्राहिषु कौशिकः

Transliteration

syāt pulākastucchadhānye saṃkṣepe bhaktasikthake mahendraguggulūlūkavyālagrāhiṣu kauśikaḥ

Translation

‘ಪುಲಾಕ’ ಎಂಬುದು ತುಚ್ಛ/ನಿಕೃಷ್ಟ ಧಾನ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸೂಚಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ‘ಸಂಕ್ಷೇಪ’ ಎಂದರೆ ಸಂಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ಸಂಗ್ರಹ/ಸಾರ. ‘ಭಕ್ತಸಿಕ್ಥಕ’ ಎಂದರೆ ಬೇಯಿಸಿದ ಅಕ್ಕಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಉಂಟಾಗುವ ಸ್ಟಾರ್ಚ್‌ ಪದರ/ಅವಶೇಷ. ‘ಕೌಶಿಕ’ ಎಂಬ ಪದವು ಮಹೇಂದ್ರ, ಗುಗ್ಗುಲು, ಗೂಬೆ, ಸರ್ಪ, ಹಾಗೂ ಹಿಡಿಯುವವ/ಗ್ರಾಹಿ ಎಂಬ ಅರ್ಥಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಬಳಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• स्यात्: may be/is used (as)
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• पुलाकः: ‘pulāka’ (parched grain/flattened rice)
• पुलाकः: Karta (कर्ता; topic word)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

• तुच्छधान्ये: in the sense of inferior grain
• तुच्छधान्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; sense/meaning domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुच्छ-धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारयः (तुच्छं धान्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• संक्षेपे: in the sense of brevity/summary
• संक्षेपे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; sense/meaning domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• भक्तसिक्थके: in the sense of rice-gruel/food-porridge (bhakta-sikthaka)
• भक्तसिक्थके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; sense/meaning domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त-सिक्थक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुषः (भक्तस्य सिक्थकः/भक्त-सिक्थकः); पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (Locative singular)

• महेन्द्रगुग्गुलूलूकव्यालग्राहिषु: in the senses: Mahendra, guggulu, owl, and snake-catcher
• महेन्द्रगुग्गुलूलूकव्यालग्राहिषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; sense/meaning domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र-गुग्गुलु-उलूक-व्याल-ग्राहि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—बहुपद-द्वन्द्वः (महेन्द्रः च गुग्गुलुः च उलूकः च व्यालग्राही च); पुंलिङ्गे सप्तमी-बहुवचनम् (Locative plural)

• कौशिकः: ‘kauśika’ (name/epithet; also used for those items)
• कौशिकः: Karta (कर्ता; topic word)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Nominative singular)

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s encyclopedic discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: Mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुलाकः तुच्छधान्ये → पुलाकस्तुच्छधान्ये (विसर्ग-सन्धि).

Characters & Entities

• Kauśika
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Guggulu
• Owl (Ulūka)
• Serpent (Vyāla)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

This verse imparts Nighaṇṭu/Śabda-śāstra knowledge: it lists precise senses and synonym-extensions of terms (e.g., pulāka, saṃkṣepa, bhakta-sikthaka) and the polysemous usage of ‘Kauśika’ across multiple referents, including the Ayurvedic drug guggulu.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

By functioning like a compact glossary, it bridges everyday vocabulary (food/grain), scholarly practice (abridgement/summary), zoological terms (owl, serpent), and Ayurveda (guggulu), demonstrating the Agni Purāṇa’s catalog-style transmission of practical and technical knowledge.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Its primary aim is precision of understanding and correct usage—supporting accurate recitation, interpretation, and application of sacred and technical texts; such clarity is traditionally seen as aiding right knowledge (samyag-jñāna) and reducing error in dharmic practice.