Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 12
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
अजाविशुकनागेन्द्राः कोलो महिषवायसौ ग्राम्यारण्या विनिर्दिष्टाः सर्वे ऽन्ये वनगोचराः
ajāviśukanāgendrāḥ kolo mahiṣavāyasau grāmyāraṇyā vinirdiṣṭāḥ sarve 'nye vanagocarāḥ
ଛେଳି, ଭେଡ଼ା, ଶୁକ (ଟିଆ) ଓ ନାଗେନ୍ଦ୍ର; ତଥା ବରାହ, ମହିଷ ଓ କାଉ—ଏମାନେ ଗ୍ରାମ୍ୟ ଓ ଅରଣ୍ୟ ଦୁଇ ଶ୍ରେଣୀରେ ବିଶେଷ ଭାବେ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ; ଅନ୍ୟ ସମସ୍ତେ ବନଗୋଚର (ବନ୍ୟ) ଗଣ୍ୟ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, the Agni Purāṇa’s standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Classifying animals as grāmya (domestic) vs āraṇya/vanagochara (wild) for dietetics (māṃsa-varga), habitat-based behavior, and practical handling/avoidance in daily life and ritual contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Grāmya–Āraṇya (Vanagochara) Animal Classification","lookup_keywords":["grāmya","āraṇya","vanagochara","paśu-varga","māṃsa-varga"],"quick_summary":"Animals are grouped by habitat—domestic vs forest-roaming—supporting applied decisions in food, medicine, and conduct around animals."}
Concept: Jāti/pravṛtti understood through deśa (habitat) and vyavahāra (human use).
Application: Apply empirical grouping (domestic vs wild) to make consistent judgments in diet, husbandry, and risk assessment.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Zoology (classification of animals: grāmya vs āraṇya)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau showing a village edge and forest boundary: domestic animals near huts and fields, and wild/forest-roaming creatures at the tree line, arranged as a labeled classification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette with bold outlines; village boundary scene with goats and sheep near a thatched hut, and boar, buffalo, crow, serpent-king motif near forest trees; inscription-like labels for grāmya and āraṇya.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents; central medallion titled 'Grāmya–Āraṇya'; domestic animals on one side with ornate borders, forest creatures on the other; rich reds and greens, stylized forms.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading; instructional split-panel composition: left 'grāmya' with goats/sheep, right 'vanagochara' with boar/buffalo/crow/serpent emblem; minimal background, captioned taxonomy.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic fauna studies; a court scholar pointing to illustrated animals arranged in two registers (domestic vs forest); detailed foliage and marginal notes in nastaʿlīq-like calligraphy style (but Sanskrit labels)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वे ऽन्ये = सर्वे अन्ये (अ + अ → ऽ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 230 (prakṛti-vijñāna / śakuna listings); Agni Purana sections on Ayurveda: dravya-guṇa and āhāra-varga (māṃsa classifications)
FAQs
It gives a technical taxonomy of creatures—domestic (grāmya), forest-associated (āraṇya), and forest-roaming (vanagocara)—useful for deciding appropriateness in ritual contexts and practical disciplines like Ayurveda and dharma-based regulations.
By cataloging and classifying animals in a rule-like way, it reflects the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style—bridging natural history with applied knowledge (ritual suitability, omens, diet/medicine, and social-legal distinctions).
Such classifications support dharmic discernment—knowing what belongs to village-life versus forest-life helps avoid improper contact or use in rites, thereby preserving ritual purity and reducing inadvertent fault (doṣa).