Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 10

Bhūmi–Vana–Auṣadhi–Ādi Vargāḥ (भूमिवनौषध्यादिवर्गाः) — Lexical Groups on Earth, Settlements, Architecture, Forests, Materia Medica, and Fauna

Devanagari script

कपोतपालिकायन्तु विटङ्कं पुं नपुंसकं कवाटमवरन्तुल्ये निःश्रेणिस्त्वधिरोहिणी

Transliteration

kapotapālikāyantu viṭaṅkaṃ puṃ napuṃsakaṃ kavāṭamavarantulye niḥśreṇistvadhirohiṇī

Translation

‘കപോതപാലികാ’ എന്ന പദം ‘വിറ്റങ്ക’യെ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; ‘വിറ്റങ്ക’ പദം പുംലിംഗത്തിലും നപുംസകത്തിലും ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നു. ‘കവാട’ വാതിൽപ്പാളി/കിവാട്, അത് ‘അവരന്തു’വിന്റെ പര്യായം. ‘നിഃശ്രേണി’യെ ‘അധിരോഹിണീ’ എന്നും പറയുന്നു—കയറാനുള്ള ഏണി/പടികൾ.

Word by Word

• kapota-pālikāyām: in/on the pigeon-loft (pigeon-shelf)
• kapota-pālikāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapota (प्रातिपदिक) + pālikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘pigeon-shelf/loft’)

• tu: but/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात)

• viṭaṅkam: (a) projecting ledge/cornice (vitanka)
• viṭaṅkam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṭaṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• pum: masculine (gender marker)
• pum: Visheshana (विशेषण/लिङ्गनिर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pum (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग-सूचक), indeclinable-like gender marker used in lexicographic style

• napuṃsakam: neuter (gender marker)
• napuṃsakam: Visheshana (विशेषण/लिङ्गनिर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: napuṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used as gender marker

• kavāṭam: door-leaf, shutter
• kavāṭam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavāṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• avaran-tulye: in the sense of ‘covering/closing’
• avaran-tulye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avaran (प्रातिपदिक) + tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘in the sense equal to avaran/covering’)

• niḥśreṇiḥ: ladder, staircase
• niḥśreṇiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niḥśreṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात)

• adhirohiṇī: climbing ladder/steps (adhirohiṇī)
• adhirohiṇī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhi-rohiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘ascending-device’)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the encyclopedic listing sections)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: kapotapālikāyantu → kapota-pālikāyām tu; kavāṭamavarantulye → kavāṭam avaran-tulye; niḥśreṇistvadhirohiṇī → niḥśreṇiḥ tu adhirohiṇī.

Characters & Entities

• Agni Purana
• Vāstu
• Śabda-śāstra

FAQs

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

It imparts Vāstu/architectural vocabulary: names and synonyms for building components such as a projecting ledge (viṭaṅka/kapotapālikā), a door-leaf (kavāṭa/avarantu), and a ladder (niḥśreṇī/adhirohiṇī), including grammatical gender usage.

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

By preserving a compact technical glossary—synonyms, functional definitions, and gender notes—it functions like a nighaṇṭu embedded in a Purāṇa, showing the Agni Purana’s wide scope beyond theology into practical arts such as construction and material culture.

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

Its value is indirect: correct terminology supports correct execution of dharmic works (e.g., building homes, halls, or temples). Precision in such sanctioned activities is traditionally viewed as aiding order (ṛta) and reducing error (doṣa) in meritorious construction.