Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 1
Chapter 242 — पुरुषलक्षणं
Purusha-Lakshana): Marks of a Man (Physiognomy
यव्यूहस्य ??? दुर्जयव्यूहस्य ??? भोगव्यूहस्य ??? गोमूत्रिकाव्यूहस्य ??? शकटव्यूहस्य ??? अमरव्यूहस्य ??? सर्वतोभद्रव्यूहस्य ??? अथ द्विचत्वारिंशदधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः पुरुषलक्षणं अग्निर् उवाच रामोक्तोक्ता मया नीतिः स्त्रीणां राजन् नृणां वदे लक्षणं यद्समुद्रेण गर्गायोक्तं यथा पुरा
yavyūhasya ??? durjayavyūhasya ??? bhogavyūhasya ??? gomūtrikāvyūhasya ??? śakaṭavyūhasya ??? amaravyūhasya ??? sarvatobhadravyūhasya ??? atha dvicatvāriṃśadadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ puruṣalakṣaṇaṃ agnir uvāca rāmoktoktā mayā nītiḥ strīṇāṃ rājan nṛṇāṃ vade lakṣaṇaṃ yadsamudreṇa gargāyoktaṃ yathā purā
यवव्यूह, दुर्जयव्यूह, भोगव्यूह, गोमूत्रिकाव्यूह, शकटव्यूह, अमरव्यूह आणि सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूह—हे व्यूह सांगितले. आता ‘पुरुषलक्षण’ हा दोनशे बेचाळीसावा अध्याय आरंभतो. अग्नि म्हणाले—हे राजन्, रामोक्त नीती मी पूर्वी सांगितली; आता स्त्री-पुरुषांच्या देहलक्षणांचे वर्णन करतो, जसे प्राचीनकाळी समुद्राने गर्गाला लक्षणशास्त्र सांगितले होते।
Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Cataloging battlefield vyuhas for tactical deployment, then transitioning to samudrika (physiognomy) for assessing persons in royal/administrative contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vyūha-nāma-saṅgraha and Samudrika-prastāva (transition)","lookup_keywords":["yavavyuha","sarvatobhadra-vyuha","vyuha-vidhi","samudrika-shastra","purusha-lakshana"],"quick_summary":"Lists key military arrays (vyūhas) and opens the physiognomy chapter, framing it as a royal-use science transmitted from Samudra to Garga."}
Concept: Śāstra as organized knowledge: polity/warcraft and physiognomy are teachable, transmissible disciplines for governance.
Application: A king uses both tactical science (vyūha) and human-assessment science (lakṣaṇa) for protection and administration.
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda / Vyuha-vidhi (Military Arrays) transitioning to Samudrika-shastra (Physiognomy)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A battlefield diagrammatic scene showing multiple troop arrays labeled Yava, Durjaya, Bhoga, Gomūtrikā, Śakaṭa, Amara, Sarvatobhadra; then a court scene where Agni begins teaching the king about human marks, citing Samudra and Garga.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: wide battlefield panorama with stylized infantry, cavalry, elephants arranged in geometric vyuhas; inset royal court where Agni (fiery aura) instructs a crowned king; palm-leaf manuscript motifs; earthy reds, greens, ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central court tableau with Agni as guru and king seated; gold-leaf halos and ornate pillars; small side panels showing miniature vyuha diagrams with troops in symmetric patterns; rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional composition with clean linework—top half labeled vyuha schematics (geometric troop placements), bottom half teacher-disciple scene introducing purusha-lakshana; muted palette, delicate shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed camp and battlefield with regimented formations; calligraphic labels for vyuhas; separate indoor durbar scene with scholar-guru citing Samudra to Garga; fine textiles, realistic faces, architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ’dhyāyaḥ = adhyāyaḥ (अ + अ); agnir uvāca = agniḥ uvāca (visarga sandhi); yadsamudreṇa = yat samudreṇa; gargāyoktaṃ = gargāya uktam. Initial list items contain ‘???’ (unavailable text), analyzed only for visible words.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dhanurveda sections on vyūha-vidhi (preceding adhyāyas); Agni Purana Samudrika/Puruṣa-lakṣaṇa adhyāyas (beginning here)
FAQs
It signals two technical domains: (1) Dhanurveda via named vyūhas (battle arrays), and (2) Samudrika-śāstra via the announced teaching of bodily marks (lakṣaṇa) of men and women.
Within a single verse it pivots from military science (vyūha terminology) and statecraft (nīti attributed to Rāma) to physiognomy (Samudra’s teaching to Garga), exemplifying the text’s multi-disciplinary compilation style.
By grounding lakṣaṇa-knowledge in an authoritative lineage (Samudra → Garga) and placing it after nīti, the verse frames discernment of character and destiny-signs as part of dharmic governance and right judgment, supporting righteous action rather than mere curiosity.