Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 2
Chapter 243 — Strī-lakṣaṇa
Characteristics of a Woman
सुनीलकेशी तन्वङ्गी विलोमाङ्गी मनोहरा शुभा स्त्री इति ज समभूमिस्पृशौ पादौ संहतौ च तथा स्तनौ
sunīlakeśī tanvaṅgī vilomāṅgī manoharā śubhā strī iti ja samabhūmispṛśau pādau saṃhatau ca tathā stanau
నీలవర్ణపు మెరుపు గల కేశాలు, సన్నని సుకుమార దేహం, సుసంఘటిత అవయవాలు, మనోహర రూపం కలిగిన స్త్రీ ‘శుభ’ అని చెప్పబడుతుంది; ఆమె పాదాలు నేలను సమంగా తాకాలి, ఆమె స్తనాలు దృఢంగా సుస్థిరంగా ఉండాలి.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating Agni Purana’s encyclopedic teachings to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"A checklist of auspicious feminine features for descriptive poetics and sāmudrika evaluation (hair, body proportion, stance, breast placement).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śubhā-strī-lakṣaṇa: sunīla-keśī, tanvaṅgī, samabhūmi-spṛk-pāda, saṃhata-stana","lookup_keywords":["sunīla-keśī","tanvaṅgī","śubhā-strī","samabhūmi-pāda","saṃhata-stana"],"quick_summary":"Auspiciousness is linked to glossy dark hair, slender well-proportioned limbs, even-footed stance, and firm well-set breasts. The verse functions as a compact descriptive standard."}
Alamkara Type: Guṇa-varṇana (rūpa-guṇa-kīrtana)
Concept: Śobha and saṃsthāna (proportion) are treated as markers of śubhatva.
Application: Serves as a descriptive rubric for poets and as a conventional social ideal in the text’s milieu.
Khanda Section: Kavya-shastra / Stri-lakshana (Ideal feminine features; descriptive poetics)
Primary Rasa: Śṛṅgāra
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A charming woman with glossy dark hair, slender symmetrical body, feet placed evenly on the ground, and firm well-set breasts—presented like an idealized portrait with emphasis on proportion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural portrait, dark lustrous hair emphasized, symmetrical stance with both feet evenly grounded, ornate jewelry, flat color fields, lotus and creeper motifs framing the figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, frontal auspicious portrait, gold-leaf detailing on ornaments, deep blue-black hair sheen, balanced stance, rich textile patterns, temple-like arch backdrop.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine outlines and soft shading, proportion grid feel (subtle), focus on posture and symmetry, minimal background for instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined portrait in a pavilion, attention to hair texture and facial charm, balanced stance, delicate textile rendering, subdued background garden."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुनीलकेशी = सु-नील-केशी; तन्वङ्गी = तनु-अङ्गी; विलोमाङ्गी = विलोम-अङ्गी; समभूमिस्पृशौ = सम-भूमि-स्पृशौ. ‘इति ज’ पाठे ‘ज’ निपातः/पाठदोषः सम्भाव्यः।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 243 (continuing strī-lakṣaṇa list)
FAQs
It conveys lakṣaṇa-vidyā (physiognomic markers) used to classify an auspicious woman by observable bodily features such as hair, proportion, gait/stance (even foot-contact), and firmness of the breasts.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical and cultural knowledge systems—here, lakṣaṇa and aesthetic description (kāvya/śāstra-adjacent norms) that function like a manual of signs, traits, and classifications.
By identifying “śubha” (auspicious) traits, the text frames harmony and good fortune as readable in embodied signs, guiding household and social choices toward perceived prosperity and dharmic stability.