Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 21
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
गृहाद्गम्य यदा चासो व्याहरेत् पुरुतः स्थितः नृपावमानं वदति वामः कलहभोजने
gṛhādgamya yadā cāso vyāharet purutaḥ sthitaḥ nṛpāvamānaṃ vadati vāmaḥ kalahabhojane
ଘରୁ ବାହାରି ଯେତେବେଳେ କେହି ଆଗରେ ଦାଁଡ଼ି କଥା କହେ ଏବଂ ସେହି କଥାରେ ରାଜାଙ୍କ ଅପମାନ ଉଚ୍ଚାରଣ କରେ, ତେବେ ତାହା ବାମ (ଅଶୁଭ) ଶକୁନ—ଭୋଜନସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ କଳହ ଓ ବିବାଦକୁ ସୂଚାଏ।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Governance and social order: treat public speech that insults the king at the threshold/forefront as an inauspicious sign; manage court discipline and public messaging to prevent factional quarrels.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Nṛpāvamāna-śakuna—inauspicious speech against the king (vāma omen)","lookup_keywords":["nṛpāvamāna","vāma-śakuna","kalaha","gṛhādgamya","bhojana"],"quick_summary":"States an omen-rule: if, upon stepping out, someone in front utters contempt for the king, it is a left-sided inauspicious sign indicating quarrel/strife, especially around one’s meal/social setting."}
Concept: Vāk (speech) is karmically and socially potent; disrespect toward rightful authority is treated as a sign of impending discord.
Application: Practice measured speech when leaving home or entering public space; avoid inflammatory talk at meals/assemblies to prevent escalation into quarrel.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Omens and character-signs for governance)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A house doorway scene: a person steps out; another stands in front speaking harshly about the king; the left side is emphasized as ominous, with onlookers at a meal setting hinting at impending quarrel.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic threshold with stylized figures, one speaking with sharp gesture, subtle left-side emphasis, a meal tray nearby foreshadowing kalaha, bold lines and earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, doorway and courtly context combined, gold detailing on garments, the speaker in front with raised hand, symbolic left-side markers, decorative food vessels indicating bhojana-related strife.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative instruction: house exit, front-standing speaker, caption-like space for 'vāmaḥ kalahabhōjane', gentle colors and precise expressions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate courtyard scene with refined architecture, one figure speaking contemptuously, attendants reacting, a dining spread in the background, nuanced facial expressions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"cautionary","suggested_raga":"Raga Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gṛhādgamya = gṛhāt + gamya (t+d sandhi). cāso = ca + asau. hy not present here; purutaḥ treated as indeclinable adverb.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 230 (śakuna rules connected to conduct); Agni Purana (rājadharma/nīti sections elsewhere)
FAQs
It conveys nimittta-vidyā (omenology): disrespectful speech about the king, uttered upon stepping out and standing before someone, is treated as a left-omen indicating impending quarrel—especially around one’s meal/food context.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical niti material—how to read speech-omens and social conduct as predictive signs—integrating governance, ethics, and everyday auspiciousness into one compendium.
It warns that contempt for rightful authority (the king as a dharmic pillar) is adharma that ripens into discord; guarding speech is thus both ethically protective and karmically purifying.