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
Какую бы часть тела ни коснулся вестник, именно это место следует объявить поражённым укусом/ранением. Беспокойное движение ног вестника — дурной знак; подняться и стоять твёрдо, без суетливости, — знак благой.
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.