Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 37
Sūryavaṃśa-kīrtana
Proclamation of the Solar Dynasty
निषधात्तु नलो जज्ञे नभो ऽजायत वै नलात् नभसः पुण्डरीको ऽभूत् सुधन्वा च ततो ऽभवत्
niṣadhāttu nalo jajñe nabho 'jāyata vai nalāt nabhasaḥ puṇḍarīko 'bhūt sudhanvā ca tato 'bhavat
ومن نِصَدَه وُلِد نَلَ، ومن نَلَ وُلِد نَبْهَس حقًّا. ومن نَبْهَس خرج پونْدَريكا، ومنه بعد ذلك نشأ سودهَنْفان.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogy to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Continuation of dynastic cataloguing for historians/paurāṇikas: aids chronological anchoring of later stories and preserves royal succession memory.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Ikṣvāku-line continuation: Niṣadha to Sudhanvan","lookup_keywords":["Niṣadha","Nala","Nabhas","Puṇḍarīka","Sudhanvan"],"quick_summary":"Provides a compact succession chain: Niṣadha → Nala → Nabhas → Puṇḍarīka → Sudhanvan."}
Concept: Smṛti as structured knowledge: names and order function as a mnemonic map of dharmic history.
Application: Use as a memorization chain (anukrama) for reciters; cross-check with other purāṇic vaṃśāvalīs.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anukramanika (Genealogies and dynastic catalogues)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stylized genealogy tree or royal register tablet showing the sequence Niṣadha → Nala → Nabhas → Puṇḍarīka → Sudhanvan, with small vignettes of each king as a medallion portrait.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style vaṃśa-vṛkṣa with five circular portraits labeled in Devanāgarī; ornamental creepers, traditional color blocks, temple-wall composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style genealogy panel with gold-leaf medallions for each king; central tree motif, rich red background, embossed borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting as an instructional chart: clean calligraphy, arrows between names, small courtly portraits; muted palette with gold accents.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature manuscript folio: margin genealogy list with illuminated cartouches; tiny portraits of kings in profile, fine floral border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: niṣadhāttu → niṣadhāt tu; nabho 'jāyata → nabhaḥ ajāyata; puṇḍarīko 'bhūt → puṇḍarīkaḥ abhūt; tato 'bhavat → tataḥ abhavat.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa vaṃśānukramaṇikā passages around 272.36–272.39
FAQs
This verse imparts Vamsha-vidyā (genealogical knowledge): a precise succession list of rulers used to preserve dynastic memory and establish legitimacy in Purāṇic historiography.
By cataloguing lineages (Niṣadha → Nala → Nabhas → Puṇḍarīka → Sudhanvan), the Agni Purāṇa functions as a reference compendium—alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts—preserving structured historical-traditional data.
Remembering and transmitting righteous lineages is treated as dharma-supporting remembrance (smṛti/anuśravaṇa), reinforcing continuity of duty, kingship ethics, and ancestral merit within the Purāṇic worldview.