Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 47
Chapter 365 — क्षत्रविट्शूद्रवर्गाः
The Classes of Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras
पटुस्तु पेशलो दक्षो मृगयुर्लुब्धकः स्मृतः चाण्डालस्तु दिवाकीर्तिः पुस्तं लेप्यादिकर्मणि
paṭustu peśalo dakṣo mṛgayurlubdhakaḥ smṛtaḥ cāṇḍālastu divākīrtiḥ pustaṃ lepyādikarmaṇi
‘Paṭu’, ‘peśala’ dan ‘dakṣa’ digunakan dengan makna “mahir/cekapan”. Seorang pemburu disebut ‘mṛgayu’ dan juga dipanggil ‘lubdhaka’. ‘Cāṇḍāla’ turut dinamai ‘divākīrti’. ‘Pustam’ merujuk kepada kerja melepa dan kerja-kerja salutan yang seumpamanya.
Lord Agni (instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha in an encyclopedic, glossary-like section)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पटुस्तु → पटुः + तु; चाण्डालस्तु → चाण्डालः + तु; दिवाकीर्तिः → दिवा + कीर्तिः; लेप्यादिकर्मणि → लेप्य + आदि + कर्मणि.
FAQs
It functions as lexical instruction: it teaches precise synonym-sets for competence (paṭu/peśala/dakṣa), hunting terms (mṛgayu/lubdhaka), a social designation (cāṇḍāla/divākīrti), and a technical building/finishing term (pusta) used for plastering and coating work (lepa).
Beyond myths and rituals, the Agni Purana preserves nighaṇṭu-style vocabulary lists spanning professions, social categories, and technical crafts—showing it as a reference compendium for language and applied knowledge.
Direct karmic merit is not the focus here; the significance is indirect—right understanding and correct usage of terms supports accurate transmission of dharma, ritual instructions, and technical procedures, reducing error (doṣa) in practice and study.