Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 4
Śrīrāmāvatāravarṇanam (Description of Śrī Rāma’s Incarnation) — Ayodhyā Abhiṣeka, Vanavāsa, Daśaratha’s Death, Bharata’s Regency
सृष्टिर्जयन्तो विजयः सिद्धार्थो राष्ट्रवर्धनः अशोको धर्मपालश् च सुमन्त्रः सवसिष्ठकः
sṛṣṭirjayanto vijayaḥ siddhārtho rāṣṭravardhanaḥ aśoko dharmapālaś ca sumantraḥ savasiṣṭhakaḥ
سْرِشْتي، جَيَنْتَه، فِجَيَه، سِدْهارثَه، راشْتْرَفَرْدْهَنَه، أَشوكَه، دَرْمَبالَه، سُومَنْتْرَه، ومعهم السلسلةُ المتصلةُ بفَسِشْطَه—هذه هي الأسماء (الملوكية) المعدودة على هذا الترتيب.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic contents to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Record-keeping of dynastic/court lineages and ministerial names for legitimacy, memory, and administrative continuity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nama-Suchi: Court/Dynastic Enumeration with Vasistha","lookup_keywords":["Srishti","Jayanta","Vijaya","Siddhartha","Rashtravardhana","Asoka","Dharmapala","Sumantra","Vasistha"],"quick_summary":"A compact list of key names in succession/court context functions as a mnemonic register supporting lineage memory and political continuity."}
Alamkara Type: Namavali (catalogue/listing)
Concept: Smriti and parampara: preserving institutional memory through ordered lists.
Application: Maintain clear registers (genealogies, ministerial rosters) to prevent disputes and ensure continuity of governance.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vamshanucharita (Dynastic and king-list narration)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal register-like depiction: a court scribe or herald reciting names before the king, with the listed figures symbolically represented in a row; Vasistha present as the guiding purohita.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized row of dignitaries with name-scroll motifs, scribe holding palm-leaf, Vasistha seated near throne, symmetrical composition and bold colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-backed court scene with a herald reading a scroll of names, king and Vasistha listening, decorative medallions containing each name as miniature portraits.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional roster tableau—scribe pointing to a written list, figures arranged in sequence with subtle labels, refined linework and muted palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: administrative court moment with a munshi reading a daftar (register), courtiers aligned, Vasistha as revered elder, intricate calligraphy-like name panel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सृष्टिर्जयन्तो = सृष्टिः + जयन्तः; धर्मपालश् = धर्मपालः + च (visarga sandhi); सवसिष्ठकः = स + वसिष्ठकः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana vamshanucharita/name-lists in other sections; Agni Purana Rajadharma passages referencing ministers and purohita roles
FAQs
This verse primarily transmits itihāsa-purāṇa style knowledge: a structured enumeration of rulers in a lineage, serving as a mnemonic record rather than a ritual or medical prescription.
By preserving dynastic catalogs and culturally significant names, it functions as a historiographic index within the Purana—one strand of its encyclopedic scope alongside ritual, polity (rajadharma), and other sciences.
Remembering and reciting puranic lineages is traditionally treated as śravaṇa/smaraṇa of dharmic history, reinforcing ideals of righteous rule (dharma-pālana) and supporting merit through engagement with purāṇic tradition.