Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 18
Chapter 9 — श्रीरामावतारकथनम् (Śrī Rāmāvatāra-kathanam) | Hanumān’s Ocean-Crossing, Sītā-Darśana, and the Setu Plan
नागपाशेन पिङ्गाक्षं दर्शयामास रावणम् उवाच रावणः कस्त्वं मारुतिः प्राह रावणम्
nāgapāśena piṅgākṣaṃ darśayāmāsa rāvaṇam uvāca rāvaṇaḥ kastvaṃ mārutiḥ prāha rāvaṇam
بِحَبْلِ الأفاعي (ناغاباشا) أُمسِكَ ذو العينين العسليّتَين وأُحضِرَ ليُعرَضَ على رافَنا. فقال رافَنا: «مَن أنت؟» فأجاب ماروتي رافَنا.
Rāvaṇa (questioning), followed by Māruti/Hanumān (reply begins in the next utterance)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Epic narrative used to teach diplomacy (questioning an envoy), rules of engagement with messengers, and the tactical use of binding weapons (pāśa).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Nāgapāśa-bandhana and Rāvaṇa’s interrogation of the envoy","lookup_keywords":["nāgapāśa","bandhana","rāvaṇa","māruti","dūta-praśna"],"quick_summary":"Hanumān is bound with a serpent-noose and brought before Rāvaṇa, who begins formal interrogation. The scene frames envoy-protocol and the use of restraint rather than immediate execution."}
Alamkara Type: Praśna (rhetorical/explicit questioning) with direct speech (vākyopanyāsa)
Weapon Type: Pāśa (nāga-pāśa / binding noose)
Concept: Dūta-vyavahāra: an envoy is questioned; restraint precedes judgment; power is tempered by counsel and protocol
Application: In governance/conflict, prioritize information and procedure over impulsive violence; treat emissaries as carriers of message
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Ramayana-Prasanga (Narrative Episode: Ravana–Hanuman encounter)
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Hanumān, bound by a coiling serpent-noose, is led into Rāvaṇa’s jeweled court; Rāvaṇa on a throne questions him while rākṣasas stand guard.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, flat vibrant colors, ornate Laṅkā sabhā with lotus motifs, Rāvaṇa enthroned with multiple crowns, Hanumān bound by green serpentine nāga-pāśa, expressive eyes, traditional temple-mural linework","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf throne and arch, Rāvaṇa richly ornamented, Hanumān with restrained posture and halo-like aura, heavy jewelry, embossed gold detailing on court pillars","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate shading, clear narrative court composition, focus on the nāga-pāśa coils and gesture of questioning, refined textiles and subdued palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed palace interior, attendants and guards, precise facial expressions, serpentine rope rendered naturalistically, architectural perspective with patterned carpets"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कस्त्वम् = कः + त्वम् (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 9.19-9.22 (continuation of Hanumān episode)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as narrative, describing restraint by nāgapāśa (a binding noose) and the opening of a formal interrogation between Rāvaṇa and Hanumān.
It shows the Agni Purana’s compendious style: alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and aesthetics, it also preserves Itihāsa material (Ramayana episodes) as moral and devotional exempla within a single encyclopedic Purana.
The passage highlights dharma-tested speech and courage under constraint: Hanumān’s impending reply models steadfastness and devotion, while Rāvaṇa’s questioning frames the karmic contrast between arrogance and service to righteousness.