Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 6
Chapter 243 — Strī-lakṣaṇa
Characteristics of a Woman
न संहतभ्रूकुटिला पतिप्राणा पतिप्रिया अलक्षणापि लक्षण्या यत्राकारास्ततो गुणाः
na saṃhatabhrūkuṭilā patiprāṇā patipriyā alakṣaṇāpi lakṣaṇyā yatrākārāstato guṇāḥ
她不应眉头紧蹙而又歪曲；当以夫为生命之气息，并为夫所爱。纵无外在美相，亦称“具吉相”；因为有高尚的行止与仪态之处，由此便生诸德。
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Guidance for household conduct (strī-dharma) emphasizing demeanor and virtues over mere physical beauty; also usable as a niti-maxim in didactic literature.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Strī-svabhāva: bhāva-ācāra as true lakṣaṇa (virtues from conduct)","lookup_keywords":["patipriyā","patiprāṇā","bhrūkuti","ācāra","guṇa-udaya"],"quick_summary":"Do not display harsh facial affect (knitted/crooked brows); cherish the husband and cultivate noble conduct—virtues arise from demeanor even when external beauty-marks are absent."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa (reasoned generalization)
Concept: Guṇas are born from ācāra and ākāra (conduct and demeanor), not merely from external beauty-marks.
Application: In evaluating persons, treat behavior and relational fidelity as primary indicators of auspiciousness and worth.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra / Alaṅkāra-śāstra: poetic theory and aesthetics)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Śṛṅgāra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A woman with relaxed, unknitted brows, gentle face, standing beside her husband with affectionate, respectful demeanor; emphasis on conduct over ornament.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, couple in domestic shrine setting, woman with smooth brows and calm gaze, gestures of service and respect, stylized faces and bold outlines, warm earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, seated couple with gold halo accents, woman’s serene brow and affectionate posture highlighted, ornate textiles and jewelry but with emphasis on calm expression, gold leaf work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: two contrasting female faces (knitted brow vs. serene brow) subtly shown, with caption-like visual cues, fine lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate household scene, woman offering water/garland to husband, naturalistic facial expression with unknitted brows, detailed interior architecture and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: alakṣaṇāpi → alakṣaṇā + api; yatrākārāḥ → yatra + ākārāḥ; ākārāstato → ākārāḥ + tataḥ (visarga sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 243 (Strī-lakṣaṇa: guṇa and doṣa signs)
FAQs
It imparts nīti/dharma instruction for household life: auspiciousness (lakṣaṇa) is grounded in conduct and virtues rather than merely external physical signs.
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies social ethics and character ideals for gṛhastha life, showing its wide scope across dharma, conduct, and normative aesthetics.
Cultivating devotion, pleasant speech and demeanor, and virtue-centered living supports household harmony and dharmic merit, treating inner guṇa as the true source of auspiciousness.