Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 25
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
पितॄणां च यमो राजा भूतादीनां हरः प्रभुः हिमवांश् चैव शैलानां नदीनां सागरः प्रभुः
pitṝṇāṃ ca yamo rājā bhūtādīnāṃ haraḥ prabhuḥ himavāṃś caiva śailānāṃ nadīnāṃ sāgaraḥ prabhuḥ
Yama ist der König der Pitṛs (Ahnengeister); Hara (Śiva) ist der höchste Souverän über die Wesen und dergleichen. Himavān ist wahrlich der Erste unter den Bergen; und der Ozean ist der Herr der Flüsse.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guiding śrāddha/ancestral rites (Yama), bhūta-śānti and Rudra worship (Hara), and sacred geography reverence (Himavān, Ocean) in ritual and cultural practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Regents: Yama of Pitṛs, Hara of Bhūtas, Himavān of Mountains, Ocean of Rivers","lookup_keywords":["Yama","Pitṛ","Hara","Himavān","Sāgara"],"quick_summary":"The verse assigns sovereignty to key domains—ancestors, beings, mountains, and rivers—providing a ritual and cosmological map for offerings, pacification, and reverence toward nature and the dead."}
Concept: Cosmic governance extends to death/ancestry (Yama), unseen beings (Rudra’s sphere), and natural orders (mountains and waters), encouraging reverence and ritual responsibility.
Application: Perform śrāddha with Yama/Pitṛ orientation; undertake bhūta-śānti and Rudra-japa when disturbances are attributed to bhūtas; treat mountains and rivers as sacred jurisdictions deserving restraint and worship.
Khanda Section: Stotra / Devata-tattva (Cosmic Lordships and Divine Sovereignties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Mountain/River-Ocean system
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A four-domain panorama: Yama presiding over pitṛs in a solemn ancestral court; Śiva as Hara surrounded by bhūtas; Himavān as a snow-crowned mountain-king; Ocean as a vast sovereign receiving rivers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic yet devotional: Yama with daṇḍa and buffalo in a subdued palette; Śiva with bhūta-gaṇas in energetic poses; Himavān personified with snowy headdress and mountain backdrop; Ocean as blue-green deity with wave patterns and makara, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold, four medallions: Yama with gold halo and dark mount; Śiva with triśūla and crescent moon, bhūtas as small attendants; Himavān glittering with white-gold snow motifs; Ocean with gold-embossed waves and river-goddesses flowing into him","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, balanced instructional composition: each regent labeled, calm facial expressions, fine linework for matted locks and wave textures, gentle gradients for snow and sea, minimal background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, landscape-rich: a Himalayan vista with anthropomorphic Himavān; rivers winding into a detailed seashore court of Ocean; a nocturnal cremation-ground edge where Śiva with bhūtas appears; a solemn ancestral assembly for Yama, intricate naturalism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भूतादीनाम् = bhūta + ādīnām; हिमवांश् चैव = himavān + ca + eva.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Śrāddha and pitṛ-kalpa related passages (elsewhere in dharma sections); Agni Purana: Rudra/Śiva stotra and bhūta-śānti materials (elsewhere in stotra/tantra-leaning sections); Agni Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya style references to rivers/ocean (where present)
FAQs
It imparts devatā-adhikāra (domain-lordship knowledge): which deity or cosmic principle presides over ancestors, beings, mountains, and rivers—useful for correctly addressing invocations (āhvāna) and offerings in ancestor-rites and deity-centered worship.
By cataloging authoritative correspondences (who rules what) across theology and sacred geography—Yama/Pitṛs, Śiva/beings, Himavān/mountains, Ocean/rivers—this verse exemplifies the Purāṇa’s compendium style, organizing the world into domains with their presiding powers.
Recognizing proper cosmic presiders supports correct reverence and right intention in worship; honoring Yama in relation to the Pitṛs aligns ancestral rites with dharma, while acknowledging Śiva’s sovereignty reinforces humility before the lordship governing all embodied beings.