Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 3
Chapter 363: नृब्रह्मक्षत्रविट्शूद्रवर्गाः
Groups of terms for Men, Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras
कात्यायन्यर्धवृद्धा या सैरिन्ध्री परवेश्मगा असिक्री स्यादवृद्धा या मलिनी तु रजस्वला
kātyāyanyardhavṛddhā yā sairindhrī paraveśmagā asikrī syādavṛddhā yā malinī tu rajasvalā
جو عورت عمر میں ‘اَردھ وِردھا’ (نیم بالغ/نیم پختہ) ہو، وہ ‘کاتْیاینی’ کہلاتی ہے؛ جو دوسرے کے گھر (بطور تابع/خادمہ) جاتی ہے، وہ ‘سَیرِندھری’ کہی جاتی ہے۔ جو ابھی بالغ نہیں، وہ ‘اَسِکری’؛ اور حیض والی عورت ‘مَلِنی’ کہلاتی ہے۔
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Terminological clarity for social-legal and household discourse: identifying categories of women by age/status and menstruation for rules of conduct, purity observances, and narrative description.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Kātyāyanī–Sairindhrī–Asikrī–Malinī: women’s status terms","lookup_keywords":["kātyāyanī","sairindhrī","paraveśmaga","malinī","rajāsvalā"],"quick_summary":"Gives compact definitions for specific female appellations—age/status and menstruation-related—used in dharma and social description, enabling correct application of conduct and purity conventions."}
Concept: Saṃjñā (technical designation) underlies niyama: social/ritual rules depend on correctly identifying status and condition.
Application: In household and ritual contexts, apply appropriate ācāra by recognizing terms for attendants/dependants, age-stages, and rajāsvalā condition.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Stri-dharma (Social-legal classifications and terminology)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau showing labeled figures: an attendant woman going to another house (sairindhrī), an older ‘half-advanced’ woman (kātyāyanī), a younger woman (asikrī), and a menstruating woman (malinī) indicated through symbolic cues of seclusion/rest.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural panels with four labeled female figures in stylized domestic settings, muted reds/ochres, symbolic separation screen for rajāsvalā, didactic inscriptions in a border band","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with compartmentalized scenes, gold borders, each figure posed frontally with attributes (basket/errand for sairindhrī; seated resting for malinī), temple-like decorative framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional chart aesthetic, fine outlines, soft colors, clear labels near each figure, domestic architecture minimal and readable","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature domestic interior with multiple vignettes, attendants moving between houses, one woman resting behind a curtain, delicate textiles and architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: कात्यायन्यर्धवृद्धा→कात्यायनी अर्धवृद्धा; परवेश्मगा→पर-वेś्म-गा (compound with kridanta -gā).
Related Themes: Agni Purana dharma/ācāra materials on śauca and strī-ācāra (elsewhere in dharma-oriented chapters); Agni Purana nighaṇṭu vargas on social terms (ch. 363 continuation)
FAQs
It provides dharma-shastra style technical labels for women by age/status and for menstruation (rajasvalā), which are used when applying purity, conduct, and household/legal rules.
By preserving precise socio-legal vocabulary (nomenclature used in dharma and purity discussions), the text functions like a reference manual alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, poetics).
Such definitions support correct observance of purity and conduct rules; in traditional dharma frameworks, correct observance is tied to ritual fitness (adhikāra) and avoidance of doṣa (fault) in rites and daily duties.