Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 35
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
प्रथमं सारङ्गे दृष्टे शुभे देशे शुभं वदेत् संवत्सरं मनुष्यस्य अशुभे च शुभं तथा
prathamaṃ sāraṅge dṛṣṭe śubhe deśe śubhaṃ vadet saṃvatsaraṃ manuṣyasya aśubhe ca śubhaṃ tathā
ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਜੇ ਸਾਰੰਗ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਥਾਂ ਤੇ ਦਿੱਸੇ, ਤਾਂ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਲਈ ਪੂਰੇ ਇੱਕ ਸਾਲ ਤੱਕ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਫਲ ਕਹਿਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਅਤੇ ਜੇ ਉਹ ਅਸ਼ੁਭ ਥਾਂ ਤੇ ਵੀ ਦਿੱਸੇ, ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਸ਼ਕੁਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਸਨੂੰ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਹੀ ਘੋਸ਼ਿਤ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Śakuna-based annual prognostication: interpreting the first sighting of a sāraṅga as a year-long favorable sign regardless of place-quality.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sāraṅga-darśana śakuna: first sighting gives year-long auspicious result","lookup_keywords":["sāraṅga","prathama-darśana","śubha-deśa","aśubha-deśa","vatsara-phala"],"quick_summary":"If the sāraṅga is seen at the first sighting, it yields auspicious results for a full year; in this rule, even an inauspicious location does not negate the omen."}
Concept: Hierarchy of nimittas: some signs override contextual defects (place) due to their intrinsic śubhatva and timing (first sighting).
Application: For annual undertakings (vows, trade, travel), treat the first sāraṅga sighting as a stabilizing positive indicator; avoid over-correcting based on location alone.
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa / Śakuna-śāstra (Omens and augury)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A traveler or householder sees a sāraṅga at the very first glance; a learned augur points out that the sign is auspicious for the whole year, even if the spot looks inauspicious.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, landscape with a deer/bird-like sāraṅga motif at the edge, augur gesturing ‘śubha’, contrasting clean vs unclean ground motifs, bright auspicious palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central sāraṅga rendered elegantly, gold accents on auspicious symbols, the augur holding a staff and palm-leaf, inscription-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic scene: two panels ‘śubha-deśa’ and ‘aśubha-deśa’ both leading to ‘śubha-phala’ for sāraṅga first sighting, fine lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed terrain with a traveler and a scholar, sāraṅga in foreground, marginal note ‘vatsara-śubha’, refined naturalism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond standard word-joining; dṛṣṭe with sāraṅge forms a locative-absolute style construction.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Jyotiṣa/Śakuna chapters on animal-omens and prathama-darśana rules; Agni Purana annual phala (saṃvatsara) prognostication patterns
FAQs
Śakuna-vidyā (augury): it gives a rule for interpreting the first sighting of a sāraṅga bird—predicting a year-long auspicious result based on the omen.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s practical compendium style by preserving operational rules of divination (śakuna) alongside other sciences—ritual, polity, medicine, and aesthetics.
Reading auspicious signs is treated as aligning action with ṛta/dharma—encouraging timely, confidence-based decisions and avoidance of fear when a traditionally favorable omen appears.