Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 9
Chapter 365 — क्षत्रविट्शूद्रवर्गाः
The Classes of Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras
स्त्रियां शृणिस्त्वङ्कुशो ऽस्त्री परिस्तोमः कुथो द्वयोः कर्णीरथः प्रवहणं दोला प्रेङ्खादिका स्त्रियां
striyāṃ śṛṇistvaṅkuśo 'strī paristomaḥ kutho dvayoḥ karṇīrathaḥ pravahaṇaṃ dolā preṅkhādikā striyāṃ
‘ஶ்ருணி’ பெண்பால். ‘அங்குஶ’ பெண்பால் அல்ல (ஆண்பால்). ‘பரிஸ்தோம’ மற்றும் ‘குத’ இருபால் (ஆண்/நடுநிலை). ‘கர்ணீரத’ மற்றும் ‘ப்ரவஹண’ வாகனம்/ரதம் குறிக்கும். ‘தோலா’, ‘ப்ரேங்கா’ முதலியவை பெண்பால்.
Lord Agni (instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha in an encyclopedic, lexicographic register)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Correct grammatical gender and lexical usage for precise Sanskrit composition, recitation, and technical writing (including military and material culture terms).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Gender and synonym notes for select nouns (śṛṇi, aṅkuśa, paristoma, kutha, dolā, preṅkhā)","lookup_keywords":["śṛṇi strīliṅga","aṅkuśa puṃliṅga","paristoma ubhayaliṅga","kutha ubhayaliṅga","dolā preṅkhā strīliṅga"],"quick_summary":"Gives lexicographic rules: śṛṇi is feminine; aṅkuśa is non-feminine; paristoma and kutha are used in two genders; karṇīratha/pravahaṇa denote vehicles; dolā and preṅkhā are feminine."}
Concept: Language-discipline: correctness of words (śabda) as a foundation for all applied sciences.
Application: Avoid errors in ritual manuals, technical treatises, and poetry by adhering to liṅga and accepted synonymy.
Khanda Section: Vyakarana / Shabda-kosha (Lexicography: gendered noun-forms and synonyms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe-scholar teaching students with a word-list board showing nouns and their genders; nearby are depicted objects: ladle, elephant-goad, cloth/covering, carts, swing/palanquin.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: guru with palm-leaf manuscript; students seated; stylized icons of śṛṇi (ladle), aṅkuśa (goad), dolā (swing) arranged with feminine/masculine markers; bold outlines, flat composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate classroom scene with gold-leaf borders; a central manuscript panel lists the words; surrounding gold-highlighted objects (goad, swing, cart) as visual mnemonics.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: clean pedagogical chart—two columns for strī/puṃ/napuṃ/ubhayaliṅga; small object drawings beside each term; restrained palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: madrasa-like Sanskrit pāṭhaśālā; teacher points to a board of words; attendants bring aṅkuśa and a dolā model; intricate interior details."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शृणिः + तु → शृणिस्तु; अङ्कुशः + अस्त्री → अङ्कुशो 'स्त्री (विसर्ग-लोप/ओ-आदेश)
Related Themes: Agni Purana nighaṇṭu/nāmamālā-style chapters listing synonyms and genders; Agni Purana sections on chandas/alaṃkāra that presuppose śabda-śuddhi
FAQs
It imparts grammatical-lexicographic knowledge: the correct linga (gender) and usage classification of specific nouns (e.g., feminine, non-feminine, and dual-gender terms) used in Sanskrit.
Alongside ritual, polity, and medicine, the Agni Purana also preserves practical linguistic tools—lists of words with gender and meaning—functioning like a compact Sanskrit glossary for accurate reading, composition, and recitation.
Correct linguistic usage supports accurate transmission of scripture and mantra-based learning; preserving and reciting texts without grammatical confusion is traditionally regarded as aiding purity of study (svādhyāya) and faithful preservation of dharma-literature.