Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 7
Adhyaya 223 — Rājadharmāḥ
Royal Duties: Inner Palace Governance, Trivarga Protection, Courtly Conduct, and Aromatic/Hygienic Sciences
स्पृष्टा धुनोति गात्राणि गात्रञ्च विरुणद्धि या ईषच्छृणोति वाक्यानि प्रियाण्यपि पराङ्मुखी
spṛṣṭā dhunoti gātrāṇi gātrañca viruṇaddhi yā īṣacchṛṇoti vākyāni priyāṇyapi parāṅmukhī
ಸ್ಪರ್ಶಿಸಿದಾಗ ಅವಳು ಅಂಗಗಳನ್ನು ಝಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ ಮತ್ತು ದೇಹವನ್ನು ದೂರ ಸರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಪ್ರಿಯನ ಮಧುರ ವಚನಗಳನ್ನೂ ಅರ್ಧವಾಗಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೇಳಿ, ಮುಖ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರುತ್ತಾಳೆ.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Staging and composing the ‘parāṅmukhī/viraktā’ heroine through touch-avoidance, bodily recoil, and half-attention to speech.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Sparśa-dveṣa-lakṣaṇa (touch-avoidance signs)","lookup_keywords":["sparśa","dhunoti-gātrāṇi","viruṇaddhi-gātram","īṣacchṛṇoti","parāṅmukhī"],"quick_summary":"Recoil from touch, drawing the body away, and only half-hearing even sweet words—while turning away—are canonical outward signs of aversion used in poetic characterization and performance."}
Alamkara Type: Anubhāva-varṇana (gesture-catalog)
Concept: Non-violence in intimacy: aversion is communicated through body-language and must be honored.
Application: In relationships and social conduct, interpret withdrawal cues as boundaries; respond with restraint and respectful distance.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara: Nayika-bheda and love-signs)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A woman is lightly touched; she shakes her limbs as if to brush off the touch, draws her body away, turns her face aside, and listens only partially to the beloved’s words.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized couple, nāyikā recoiling with a clear hand gesture brushing away touch, face turned, bold outlines, warm interior palette, expressive eyes showing displeasure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold work, nāyikā leaning back and turning away, raised hand in refusal, jeweled ornaments, ornate pillars, the lover speaking softly, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine lines, focus on abhinaya: torso angled away, hand brushing shoulder, half-turned face, speech indicated by subtle gesture, clean background for clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate palace scene, the lover reaching gently, nāyikā recoiling and turning away, attendants in background, detailed textiles and carpet patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gātrañca → gātram + ca; īṣacchṛṇoti → īṣat + śṛṇoti; priyāṇyapi → priyāṇi + api; पराङ्मुखी is बहुव्रीहि (one whose face is turned away).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 223 (nāyikā-bheda and love-signs sequence)
FAQs
It imparts kavya-śāstra knowledge: behavioral markers (anubhāvas) used to identify a heroine’s emotional state—averting the face, withdrawing the body, and only faintly listening despite affection.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana also codifies Sanskrit literary science (sāhitya/alankāra), giving systematic criteria for emotions and character-types used in poetry and drama.
Indirectly, it refines discernment (viveka) and ethical sensitivity in human conduct by teaching how inner emotions manifest outwardly—supporting self-restraint and right understanding in relationships rather than prescribing a ritual act.