Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 76
Bhūmi–Vana–Auṣadhi–Ādi Vargāḥ (भूमिवनौषध्यादिवर्गाः) — Lexical Groups on Earth, Settlements, Architecture, Forests, Materia Medica, and Fauna
केकी शिख्यस्य वाक्केका शकुन्तिशकुनिद्विजाः स्त्री पक्षतिः पक्षमूलञ्चञ्चुस्तोटिरुभे स्त्रियौ
kekī śikhyasya vākkekā śakuntiśakunidvijāḥ strī pakṣatiḥ pakṣamūlañcañcustoṭirubhe striyau
Đối với “chim công”, từ dùng là kekī; mào của nó gọi là śikhā; tiếng kêu của nó gọi là kekā. Śakunti và śakuni là các danh từ giống cái nghĩa là “chim”. Pakṣati chỉ “cánh”, còn pakṣamūla là “gốc/đế của cánh”. Caṅcu (mỏ) và stoṭi (mỏ/mõm) đều là từ giống cái.
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of the Agni Purana) addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Correct gender/usage and technical vocabulary for birds and their parts; supports accurate prose, poetry, and commentary.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Bird Terminology: Peacock, Crest, Cry, Wing, Beak (with Gender Notes)","lookup_keywords":["keki","shikha","keka","pakshati","cancu"],"quick_summary":"Defines key bird-terms and notes grammatical gender (notably feminine forms), aiding correct declension and precise description."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (phonetic echo in kekī/kekā)
Concept: Śabda-rūpa-niyama (gender/usage) as part of correct speech (sādhu-śabda).
Application: Apply correct gender (strīliṅga) and part-terms (pakṣati, caṅcu) in composition and scholastic explanation.
Khanda Section: Vyakarana / Kosha (Lexicography of Sanskrit synonyms and technical vocabulary)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A peacock displayed with highlighted crest and an open beak indicating its call; diagram-like labels for wing, wing-root, and beak terms with gender notes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style peacock with ornate tail, labeled parts: शिखा (crest), केका (cry), पक्षतिः (wing), पक्षमूल (wing-root), चञ्चुः/स्तोटिः (beak), with manuscript-style side notes ‘स्त्री’","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of a regal peacock with gold leaf accents on feathers, decorative label plaques naming kekī, śikhā, kekā, and anatomical terms, temple-like border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting technical illustration: peacock profile with arrows to crest, beak, wing, wing-root; clean Devanagari annotations and gender markers","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature naturalist study of a peacock, fine feather detail, marginalia in Devanagari listing terms kekī/śikhā/kekā and caṅcu/stoṭi"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वाक्केका → वाक् केका. शकुन्तिशकुनिद्विजाः → शकुन्तिः शकुनिः द्विजाः. पक्षमूलञ्चञ्चुः → पक्षमूलम् चञ्चुः. स्तोटिरुभे → तोटिः उभे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 362 (Kośa: grammatical notes and synonymy)
FAQs
It imparts lexical-grammatical knowledge (nighaṇṭu/kośa): precise Sanskrit terms and their gender/usage for bird-related anatomy and sounds (kekī, kekā, pakṣati, caṅcu, etc.).
By cataloging synonyms, word-forms, and grammatical gender, it functions like a compact dictionary inside the Purana—showing that the Agni Purana preserves not only theology and ritual, but also linguistic and scholarly reference material.
Its primary aim is educational rather than ritual; indirectly, mastering correct śabda (words) supports accurate recitation, learning, and transmission of dharma-texts, which traditional Hindu thought treats as meritorious (puṇya) through preservation of sacred knowledge.