Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 21
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
अक्षौहिणीप्रमाणन्तु अश्वत्थामा महाबलः द्रौपदेयान् सपाञ्चालान् धृष्टद्युम्नञ्च सो ऽबधीत्
akṣauhiṇīpramāṇantu aśvatthāmā mahābalaḥ draupadeyān sapāñcālān dhṛṣṭadyumnañca so 'badhīt
Doch Aśvatthāmā, von großer Kraft erfüllt, erschlug die Söhne Draupadīs samt den Pāñcālas und auch Dhṛṣṭadyumna und bewirkte ein Gemetzel im Ausmaß einer Akṣauhiṇī.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic-encyclopedic synopsis to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Epic exemplum illustrating night-raid ethics, consequences of adharma in war, and the scale of casualties (akṣauhiṇī) for historical/strategic comprehension.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Aśvatthāmā’s nocturnal slaughter of the Draupadeyas and Pāñcālas (akṣauhiṇī-scale)","lookup_keywords":["Aśvatthāmā","Draupadeya-vadha","Pāñcāla","Dhṛṣṭadyumna","akṣauhiṇī"],"quick_summary":"Records Aśvatthāmā’s mass killing of Draupadī’s sons and allied Pāñcālas, framed as catastrophic, akṣauhiṇī-scale slaughter—used as a cautionary war-narrative exemplum."}
Weapon Type: Sword (implied in night massacre) / general śastra
Concept: Adharma in warfare yields disproportionate destruction and enduring blame; violence against the defenseless is condemned in epic memory.
Application: Use as ethical guideline in leadership/military conduct: restrain vengeance, uphold rules of engagement, protect the vulnerable.
Khanda Section: Itihasa–Mahabharata-sankshipta (Epic Synopsis / War Narrative)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Aśvatthāmā, fierce and armed, moving through the sleeping camp, slaying the Draupadeyas and Pāñcāla warriors; Dhṛṣṭadyumna fallen; atmosphere of night, torches, chaos.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, night camp scene at Kurukṣetra, Aśvatthāmā with intense eyes and warrior ornaments, torchlight, sleeping tents, fallen Pāñcāla soldiers, dramatic red-black palette, stylized expressions of raudra and karuṇā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central fierce Aśvatthāmā in ornate armor with gold highlights, simplified camp backdrop, fallen warriors arranged symmetrically, rich reds and greens, gold foil accents emphasizing the catastrophic act.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, detailed linework of the war-camp, controlled composition showing sequential action (approach, strike, aftermath), muted night tones with delicate ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, nocturnal raid with fine detailing of tents, weapons, and faces; torchlight illumination, dynamic diagonals, multiple figures in a compact battlefield-camp setting, emphasis on narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रमाणन्तु → प्रमाणम् + तु; धृष्टद्युम्नञ्च → धृष्टद्युम्नम् + च; सोऽबधीत् → सः + अबधीत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Itihāsa-khaṇḍa Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa sections on Kurukṣetra aftermath; Agni Purana dharma sections on śrāddha/dāna (context for later rites)
FAQs
This verse imparts Itihasa-based knowledge of ancient Indian military terminology—especially the unit “akṣauhiṇī” as a standard measure of army strength—within a concise Mahābhārata war synopsis.
By compressing a key Mahābhārata episode into a single verse while preserving technical war vocabulary (akṣauhiṇī) and named historical actors, the Agni Purana functions as a reference compendium that catalogs narrative history alongside other disciplines.
The verse highlights the grave karmic weight of mass killing and the tragic consequences of vengeance in war, serving as a dharmic caution that violence—even in a martial context—carries severe moral and spiritual repercussions.