Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
सप्तम इति ख ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः स्मृता इति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः सिंहिका चाभवत् कन्या विप्रचित्तेः परिग्रहः राहुप्रभृतयस्तस्यां सैंहिकेया इति श्रुताः
saptama iti kha ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ smṛtā iti ga, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ siṃhikā cābhavat kanyā vipracitteḥ parigrahaḥ rāhuprabhṛtayastasyāṃ saiṃhikeyā iti śrutāḥ
كانت سِمْهِكَا (Siṃhikā) فتاةً صارت قرينةَ ڤيبراتشِتّي (Vipracitti). ومن رحمها وُلِد راهو (Rāhu) وغيرُه؛ ويُروى في التقليد أنهم يُعرَفون باسم السَّيِمْهِكِيَّة (Saiṃhikeyas)، أي ذرية سِمْهِكَا. (وتسجّل الملاحظات الافتتاحية اختلافات قراءات المخطوطات.)
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogy to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Mythic etiology for eclipse-causing grahas (Rāhu/Ketu tradition) and asura lineages; supports ritual responses to eclipses and astrological interpretation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Saiṃhikeyāḥ: Siṃhikā–Vipracitti and the birth of Rāhu","lookup_keywords":["Siṃhikā","Vipracitti","Rāhu","Saiṃhikeyāḥ","graha lineage"],"quick_summary":"Identifies Siṃhikā as consort of Vipracitti and mother of Rāhu and others, establishing the ‘Saiṃhikeyas’ lineage—often invoked in eclipse lore and graha narratives."}
Temple Type: Dravida
Alamkara Type: Itivṛtta (genealogical narration)
Concept: Purāṇic causality links celestial phenomena (Rāhu) with moral-mythic lineages; tradition (‘śruti’) stabilizes communal understanding of cosmic events.
Application: During eclipses: adopt restraint, japa/dāna, and graha-śānti practices grounded in the cultural narrative of Rāhu.
Khanda Section: Puranic Cosmology & Genealogy (Asura–Graha lineage; Rahu–Ketu origins)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dark, dramatic celestial scene: Siṃhikā and Vipracitti as asura royals, with the birth/appearance of Rāhu as a shadowy graha figure; in the sky, an eclipse motif shows Rāhu grasping the sun or moon.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with Siṃhikā (dark-toned asurī) beside Vipracitti in regal attire; Rāhu shown as fierce head with serpent tail, looming near a partially eclipsed sun/moon, bold lines, deep reds and blacks, stylized clouds","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of Navagraha-style Rāhu with gold foil halo against dark background, eclipse disc rendered with metallic sheen; lower register shows Siṃhikā and Vipracitti as richly ornamented asuras, embossed gold details","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting with clear iconographic labeling: Siṃhikā, Vipracitti, Rāhu; eclipse diagram in the corner showing Rāhu’s node effect, delicate linework and muted palette for instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature night-sky scene with an eclipse over a palace terrace; foreground shows Siṃhikā and Vipracitti, while a shadowy Rāhu figure is painted in the clouds near the eclipsed orb, fine detailing and atmospheric gradients"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"mysterious","suggested_raga":"Puriya","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चाभवत्→च अभवत्; राहुप्रभृतयस्तस्यां→राहु-प्रभृतयः तस्याम्। आरम्भे ‘ख/ङ/ग’ इत्यादयः पाठचिह्नानि (critical apparatus) इति अव्ययवत् गृहीतानि।
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Navagraha descriptions and śānti procedures (where present); Agni Purana: Daitya/Dānava genealogies around Kaśyapa lineages
FAQs
No ritual procedure is taught here; the verse transmits Purāṇic genealogical knowledge identifying Rāhu (and related beings) as the Saiṃhikeyas—descendants of Siṃhikā through Vipracitti.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s cataloguing function by preserving mythic-cosmological data—names, relationships, and lineage labels—used across Purāṇic astronomy (graha lore), eclipse mythology, and daitya genealogies.
By grounding Rāhu in a defined lineage, the verse supports traditional understanding of eclipses and related religious observances (e.g., eclipse-time purification and charity) that rely on Purāṇic cosmology for their interpretive framework.