Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 35
Chapter 231 — शकुनानि (Śakunāni) | Omens in Governance, Travel, and War
वृषो ऽश्वः कुञ्जरो वापि रिपुसैन्यगतो ऽशुभः खण्डमेघातिवृष्ट्या तु सेना नाशमवाप्नुयात्
vṛṣo 'śvaḥ kuñjaro vāpi ripusainyagato 'śubhaḥ khaṇḍameghātivṛṣṭyā tu senā nāśamavāpnuyāt
ਜੇ ਬਲਦ, ਘੋੜਾ ਜਾਂ ਹਾਥੀ ਵੈਰੀ ਦੀ ਫੌਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾ ਪਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਇਹ ਅਸ਼ੁਭ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਟੁੱਟੇ-ਛਿੱਟੇ ਬੱਦਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਅਤਿ ਵਰਖਾ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਫੌਜ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Battlefield omen-reading and weather-risk assessment: interpreting animal intrusions and storm patterns as predictors of army morale, cohesion, and potential defeat.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Yuddha-nimitta: inauspicious animal entry and broken-cloud deluge causing army destruction","lookup_keywords":["yuddha-nimitta","ripu-senā","aśubha-śakuna","khaṇḍa-megha","ativṛṣṭi"],"quick_summary":"If bull/horse/elephant appears as an inauspicious sign within the enemy host, and broken scattered clouds bring excessive rain, the omen-complex is read as leading to an army’s destruction."}
Concept: Nimitta plus prakṛti (environmental conditions) together inform prudent action; signs are read alongside material causes like extreme rain.
Application: Delay battle during ativṛṣṭi; secure camp on higher ground; protect weapons and animals; treat omen clusters as triggers for contingency plans.
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda / Rajadharma (Military omens and battlefield portents)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A battlefield with enemy ranks disrupted as a bull/horse/elephant intrudes ominously; above, broken scattered clouds unleash torrential rain, turning ground to mud and foreshadowing army ruin.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic monsoon sky with segmented clouds, stylized rain bands, chaotic enemy camp with animal intrusion, bold contrasts and rhythmic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold accents on armor and standards against dark rain clouds, animal crossing into enemy formation, textured rain patterning, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, semi-diagrammatic battlefield showing formations breaking under rain, emphasis on weather effects (mud, slipping animals), refined linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic battle scene with detailed standards and troops, naturalistic rain and cloud fragments, animal intrusion as focal narrative element, nuanced landscape"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृषोऽश्वः = वृषः + अश्वः; रिपुसैन्यगतः = रिपु + सैन्य + गतः; गतोऽशुभः = गतः + अशुभः; वापि = वा + अपि; नाशमवाप्नुयात् = नाशम् + अवाप्नुयात्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 231 (military omens and portents)
FAQs
It teaches nimitta-jñāna (omenology) for warfare: certain animal intrusions into an enemy formation and specific weather patterns (scattered-cloud cloudburst rain) are read as indicators of impending army-wide loss.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves applied statecraft and military science—here combining battlefield observation, animal-omen lore, and meteorological signs to guide royal decision-making.
By framing war outcomes through auspicious/inauspicious portents, the text implies that collective fate in battle is linked to dharma and unseen karmic forces, urging rulers to act cautiously and righteously when adverse signs appear.