Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 30
Mantra-paribhāṣā (मन्त्रपरिभाषा) — Colophon/Closure
दूतः स्पृशति यद्गात्रं तस्मिन् दंशमुदाहरेत् दूताङ्घ्रिचलनं दुष्ठमुत्थितिर्निश् चला शुभा
dūtaḥ spṛśati yadgātraṃ tasmin daṃśamudāharet dūtāṅghricalanaṃ duṣṭhamutthitirniś calā śubhā
Qualquer membro do corpo que o mensageiro toque, esse mesmo lugar deve ser declarado como atingido por mordida/ferida. O mover inquieto dos pés do mensageiro é infausto; levantar-se e permanecer de pé com firmeza, sem agitação, é auspicioso.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Śakuna-based prognosis: interpret where the messenger touches as the locus of injury/affliction; assess foot-restlessness vs steady stance to judge auspiciousness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dūta-sparśa and pāda-calana śakuna (touch and foot-movement omens)","lookup_keywords":["śakuna","dūta-sparśa","daṃśa","pāda-calana","aśubha-śubha"],"quick_summary":"Touch-omen maps affliction to the touched limb; restless feet signal inauspiciousness, while steady, unfidgeting posture is auspicious."}
Concept: External behavior (ceṣṭā) is read as a sign-system for unseen outcomes; steadiness correlates with śubha, restlessness with aśubha.
Application: In consultations, note messenger’s touch and stance before giving prognosis or commencing rites; use as a cautionary filter.
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa / Śakuna-śāstra (Omens and prognostics)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A messenger touches a specific limb of the querent/patient while the practitioner points to that limb as the predicted site of affliction; the messenger’s feet are shown either fidgeting (inauspicious) or standing still (auspicious) in contrasting vignettes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split-scene composition: left panel restless feet with dynamic lines (aśubha), right panel steady stance (śubha); central touch to a limb highlighted with bold outline; priest indicates daṃśa locus.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, two small narrative panels with gold borders: messenger touching arm/shoulder, practitioner gesturing; ornate foot depiction with motion vs stillness; symbolic red mark on touched limb.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic illustration with clear gestures and posture cues; arrows from touch to limb; separate depiction of pāda-calana vs niścalatā, clean background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, consultation in a veranda; messenger lightly touches the client’s limb; physician-astrologer observes feet movement; fine detail on sandals and posture, subtle narrative contrast."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yadgātraṃ = yat gātram; daṃśamudāharet = daṃśam udāharet; dūtāṅghricalanaṃ = dūta-aṅghri-calanaṃ; dushṭhamutthitiḥ = duṣṭham utthitiḥ; niś calā = niḥ-calā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 293 (dūta-ceṣṭā and śakuna rules)
FAQs
It teaches dūta-śakuna: reading omens from a messenger’s touch (predicting an affliction at that body-part) and from his posture/foot-movement (fidgeting = inauspicious; steady stance = auspicious).
Beyond theology, it preserves practical statecraft-adjacent knowledge—how to assess an envoy’s signs and interpret outcomes—showing the Purāṇa’s coverage of applied Jyotiṣa/omenology used in governance and decision-making.
By heeding auspicious/inauspicious signs before action, one avoids harm and ill-timed undertakings, aligning decisions with dharma and favorable time-signs (śubha-lakṣaṇa), thereby reducing negative outcomes attributed to improper timing or neglect of omens.