Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 3
अध्यायः २८६ — गजचिकित्सा
Elephant Medicine
कर्णौर् च विपूलौ येषां सूक्ष्मविन्द्वन्वितत्वचौ ते धार्या न तथा धार्या वामना ये च सङ्कुशाः
karṇaur ca vipūlau yeṣāṃ sūkṣmavindvanvitatvacau te dhāryā na tathā dhāryā vāmanā ye ca saṅkuśāḥ
Mereka yang bertelinga lebar dan berkulit bertanda bintik-bintik halus hendaklah diterima sebagai sesuai; tetapi yang kerdil, atau yang telinganya melengkung seperti cangkuk penggiring (sankuśa), tidak patut diterima dengan cara yang sama.
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition of the Agni Purana, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Selection/assessment of persons (or attendants/servants/war-elephant handlers) by external marks; avoidance of perceived inauspicious or unsuitable bodily traits in recruitment and royal service.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Karna-tvak-lakshana (Ear breadth and speckled skin as suitability marks)","lookup_keywords":["samudrika-lakshana","karna-vipula","sukshma-bindu","tvak-lakshana","vamana-sankusha"],"quick_summary":"Broad ears and skin with fine dot-like speckling are treated as favorable marks for acceptance; dwarfish build and hooked/goad-like ears are treated as comparatively unfavorable for selection."}
Concept: Lakshana-pariksha (inference of suitability/character from bodily marks).
Application: Use as a screening rubric in royal/household appointments; interpret external signs as indicators of fitness per traditional physiognomy.
Khanda Section: Samudrika-Lakshana / Physiognomy (Body marks for suitability and character assessment)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal examiner compares candidates by ear-shape and skin texture, accepting broad-eared, fine-speckled individuals and rejecting dwarfish or hook-eared ones.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette, a courtly scene with a learned examiner pointing to broad ears and speckled skin marks, stylized profiles, ornamental borders, calm didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on royal court pillars and ornaments, a seated king observing an assessor examining ear breadth and skin speckles of attendants, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional court tableau with labeled gestures toward ear forms (vipula vs sankusha) and dotted skin texture, soft shading and refined faces.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed textiles and carpets, a physiognomy assessment in a durbar, close attention to ear curvature and tiny dot-like skin marks, naturalistic portraiture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: karṇaur → karṇauḥ (visarga lost before ca) resolved as karṇau + ca. sūkṣmavindvanvitatvacau parsed as compound sūkṣma-bindu-anvita-tvacau (tatpuruṣa).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Samudrika-lakshana sections (physiognomy of limbs/marks); Agni Purana: Rajadharma—selection of attendants/officials (contextual)
FAQs
It imparts Samudrika/Lakṣaṇa-śāstra criteria—using ear shape and skin markings as traditional indicators to judge whether a person is considered suitable/acceptable for a given role or selection.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana compiles applied knowledge systems; here it preserves physiognomy (lakṣaṇa-śāstra), a practical evaluative discipline used in social, administrative, and traditional diagnostic contexts.
By recommending discernment in selection based on recognized ‘marks,’ it frames social choice as dharmically regulated—aiming to align actions (like appointment or association) with perceived auspicious indicators to avoid inauspicious outcomes.