Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 8
पाण्डवचरितवर्णनम्
The Account of the Pāṇḍavas
पुनस्तच्छापतो नीता गोपालैर् लगुडायुधैः अर्जुनं हि तिरस्कृत्य पार्थः शोकञ्चकार ह
punastacchāpato nītā gopālair laguḍāyudhaiḥ arjunaṃ hi tiraskṛtya pārthaḥ śokañcakāra ha
ثمّ بسبب تلك اللعنة أيضًا، أُوقع في المهانة على يد رعاة البقر (gopāla) المسلّحين بالعِصيّ (laguḍa)؛ إذ لَمّا أُهين حقًّا، وقع أرجونا، ابنُ بريثا، في الحزن والأسى.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Illustrates the decline of heroic efficacy when divine support withdraws and when curse/kāla operates; used to teach humility and the limits of mere prowess, and (secondarily) the reality of irregular warfare by non-elite fighters.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Arjuna’s Humiliation by Gopālas with Clubs under the Force of a Curse","lookup_keywords":["Arjuna","gopāla","laguḍa","śāpa","humiliation"],"quick_summary":"Due to the operative curse, Arjuna is overpowered/insulted by cowherds wielding clubs, leading to grief—signaling the ebb of extraordinary protection and the turning of time after Krishna’s departure."}
Weapon Type: Mace/club (laguḍa)
Concept: When kāla/śāpa ripens, even the mighty face reversal; ego based on past victories collapses without divine alignment.
Application: Practice humility and resilience; do not presume permanence of capability or status—prepare ethically and mentally for reversals.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Puranic Narrative (Avatara/Itihasa-katha: Arjuna episode)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A band of cowherds armed with clubs confront and overpower/insult Arjuna; Arjuna appears shocked and grieving, signaling a dramatic reversal of heroic stature.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic confrontation—gopālas with raised wooden clubs, Arjuna in warrior attire but subdued; expressive eyes, strong outlines, earthy background, mood of tragic reversal.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Arjuna central with diminished posture, gopālas surrounding with clubs; gold detailing on Arjuna’s ornaments contrasted with rustic attackers; dramatic devotional-narrative framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear action scene with readable gestures—clubs, defensive stance, aftermath with Arjuna seated in grief; fine lines and soft shading to emphasize emotion.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: crowded skirmish with detailed costumes—rustic cowherds vs. princely Arjuna; expressive faces, dust and motion lines, concluding vignette of Arjuna’s sorrow."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुनस्तच्छापतो = पुनः + तत्-शापतः; गोपालैर् = गोपालैः; लगुडायुधैः = लगुड-आयुधैः; शोकञ्चकार = शोकम् + चकार.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: concluding Krishna/Yādava cycle; Agni Purana: any Dhanurveda/weapon lists where clubs are mentioned (contextual)
FAQs
This verse is primarily narrative rather than ritual-technical; it conveys the applied doctrine of śāpa-phala (the operative result of a curse) and how karmic forces can manifest as social defeat and humiliation.
Alongside ritual, law, and sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves itihāsa-style moral history: here it demonstrates karmic causality and ethical instruction through a famous hero’s reversal, adding didactic narrative to its encyclopedic range.
It highlights that even the mighty can be overpowered when bound by śāpa (curse) and prior karma; the spiritual takeaway is humility and vigilance in dharma, since dishonor and sorrow can arise from unseen moral causes.