Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 23
Chapter 365 — क्षत्रविट्शूद्रवर्गाः
The Classes of Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras
स्यात्पञ्चता कालधर्मो दिष्टान्तः प्रलयो ऽत्ययः विशो भूमिस्पृषो वैश्या वृत्तिर्वर्तनजीवने
syātpañcatā kāladharmo diṣṭāntaḥ pralayo 'tyayaḥ viśo bhūmispṛṣo vaiśyā vṛttirvartanajīvane
‘பஞ்சதா’ என்பது மரணம்—ஐம்பூதங்களாக மாறுதல். ‘காலதர்மம்’ என்பது காலத்தின் விதி. ‘திஷ்டாந்தம்’, ‘ப்ரளயம்’, ‘அத்யயம்’ என்பவை அழிவு/பேரிடருக்கான சொற்கள். ‘விசஹ்’ என்பது வைசியர்கள்; அவர்கள் ‘பூமிஸ்ப்ருஷஹ்’—நிலத்துடன் தொடர்புடைய (விவசாயம் முதலிய) வாழ்வாதாரமுடையோர். ‘வ்ருத்தி’ என்பது தொழில்-வாழ்வாதாரம்.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Lexical clarity for dharma discourse: terms for death, dissolution, social class (Vaiśya), and livelihood used in legal/ritual and administrative contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Kośa entries: pañcatā (death), pralaya/atyaya, viśaḥ (Vaiśya), vṛtti (livelihood)","lookup_keywords":["pañcatā","pralaya","atyaya","viśaḥ","vṛtti"],"quick_summary":"Gives synonym sets and technical senses for death and calamity, identifies Vaiśyas by agrarian association, and defines vṛtti as occupational livelihood."}
Concept: Mortality (pañcatā) and time’s law (kāla-dharma) frame social duty and livelihood (vṛtti) within varṇa order.
Application: Use the vocabulary to interpret dharma texts, ritual manuals, and administrative records without semantic ambiguity.
Khanda Section: Nighaṇṭu / Śabdārtha-kośa (Lexical synonyms and technical vocabulary)
Primary Rasa: Samanya
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe compiles a lexicon: on one side a symbolic dissolution into five elements (pañcatā/pralaya), on the other a Vaiśya farmer tilling land, and a ledger labeled vṛtti.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; allegorical pralaya with swirling elements, beside a calm agrarian scene of ploughing Vaiśya, palm-leaf lexicon in foreground, earthy tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore; split-panel composition with gold-highlighted cosmic dissolution motif and richly adorned agrarian prosperity scene, inscriptions of key terms.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore; manuscript-like educational tableau with labeled icons for pañca-bhūtas, farmer tools, and a neat glossary column, refined linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; scholar in library writing kośa, marginal miniature of flood/dissolution, detailed rural vignette of cultivation, fine calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: syātpañcatā = स्यात् + पञ्चता; pralayo 'tyayaḥ = प्रलयः + अत्ययः; vṛttirvartanajīvane = वृत्तिः + वर्तनजीवने.
Related Themes: Agni Purana kośa/nighaṇṭu-style chapters around 365; Agni Purana cosmology passages on pralaya
FAQs
It teaches nighaṇṭu-style technical vocabulary: precise synonyms for death/dissolution (pañcatā, pralaya, atyaya, diṣṭānta) and socio-economic terms for Vaiśyas and livelihood (viśaḥ/vaiśyāḥ, bhūmispṛśaḥ, vṛtti).
By functioning like a compact glossary: it standardizes key terms used across dharma, cosmology (pralaya), and social organization (varṇa and occupation), supporting accurate understanding of many other sections.
It frames death and calamity as time-governed (kāla-dharma), encouraging detachment and clarity; it also affirms that righteous livelihood (vṛtti) aligned with one’s social duty is a dharmic basis for life.