Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 12
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
अजाविशुकनागेन्द्राः कोलो महिषवायसौ ग्राम्यारण्या विनिर्दिष्टाः सर्वे ऽन्ये वनगोचराः
ajāviśukanāgendrāḥ kolo mahiṣavāyasau grāmyāraṇyā vinirdiṣṭāḥ sarve 'nye vanagocarāḥ
بکری، بھیڑ، طوطا اور ناگوں کا سردار؛ نیز سورِ وحشی (وراہ)، بھینسا اور کوا—یہ سب گھریلو اور جنگلی دونوں زمروں میں خاص طور پر بیان کیے گئے ہیں؛ باقی سب کو جنگل میں پھرنے والے (وحشی) جاندار سمجھا گیا ہے۔
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, the Agni Purāṇa’s standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Classifying animals as grāmya (domestic) vs āraṇya/vanagochara (wild) for dietetics (māṃsa-varga), habitat-based behavior, and practical handling/avoidance in daily life and ritual contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Grāmya–Āraṇya (Vanagochara) Animal Classification","lookup_keywords":["grāmya","āraṇya","vanagochara","paśu-varga","māṃsa-varga"],"quick_summary":"Animals are grouped by habitat—domestic vs forest-roaming—supporting applied decisions in food, medicine, and conduct around animals."}
Concept: Jāti/pravṛtti understood through deśa (habitat) and vyavahāra (human use).
Application: Apply empirical grouping (domestic vs wild) to make consistent judgments in diet, husbandry, and risk assessment.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Zoology (classification of animals: grāmya vs āraṇya)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau showing a village edge and forest boundary: domestic animals near huts and fields, and wild/forest-roaming creatures at the tree line, arranged as a labeled classification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette with bold outlines; village boundary scene with goats and sheep near a thatched hut, and boar, buffalo, crow, serpent-king motif near forest trees; inscription-like labels for grāmya and āraṇya.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents; central medallion titled 'Grāmya–Āraṇya'; domestic animals on one side with ornate borders, forest creatures on the other; rich reds and greens, stylized forms.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading; instructional split-panel composition: left 'grāmya' with goats/sheep, right 'vanagochara' with boar/buffalo/crow/serpent emblem; minimal background, captioned taxonomy.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic fauna studies; a court scholar pointing to illustrated animals arranged in two registers (domestic vs forest); detailed foliage and marginal notes in nastaʿlīq-like calligraphy style (but Sanskrit labels)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वे ऽन्ये = सर्वे अन्ये (अ + अ → ऽ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 230 (prakṛti-vijñāna / śakuna listings); Agni Purana sections on Ayurveda: dravya-guṇa and āhāra-varga (māṃsa classifications)
FAQs
It gives a technical taxonomy of creatures—domestic (grāmya), forest-associated (āraṇya), and forest-roaming (vanagocara)—useful for deciding appropriateness in ritual contexts and practical disciplines like Ayurveda and dharma-based regulations.
By cataloging and classifying animals in a rule-like way, it reflects the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style—bridging natural history with applied knowledge (ritual suitability, omens, diet/medicine, and social-legal distinctions).
Such classifications support dharmic discernment—knowing what belongs to village-life versus forest-life helps avoid improper contact or use in rites, thereby preserving ritual purity and reducing inadvertent fault (doṣa).