Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 35
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
देवापिर्वाह्लिकश् चैव सोमदत्तस्तु शान्तनोः वाह्लिकात्सोमदत्तो ऽभुद्भूरिर्भूरिस्रवाः शलः
devāpirvāhlikaś caiva somadattastu śāntanoḥ vāhlikātsomadatto 'bhudbhūrirbhūrisravāḥ śalaḥ
Devāpi und Bāhlika sowie auch Somadatta wurden von Śāntanu geboren. Aus Bāhlika wurde Somadatta geboren; und aus ihm gingen Bhūri, Bhūriśravā und Śala hervor.
Lord Agni (narrating genealogical tradition to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Identifies Śāntanu’s sons and the Bāhlika branch leading to Somadatta and his sons—key for Mahābhārata character placement (e.g., Bhūriśravā).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śāntanu’s Issue and Bāhlika Line: Devāpi, Bāhlika; Somadatta → Bhūri, Bhūriśravā, Śala","lookup_keywords":["Devāpi","Bāhlika","Somadatta","Bhūriśravā","Śāntanu"],"quick_summary":"Lists Śāntanu’s sons and traces the Bāhlika → Somadatta line, supplying quick reference for epic genealogies and collateral Kuru branches."}
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies and dynastic lists)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A family-branch depiction: Śāntanu with Devāpi and Bāhlika; from Bāhlika a line to Somadatta, and from him three sons—Bhūri, Bhūriśravā, Śala—shown as labeled princes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Śāntanu seated with two sons standing; a branching creeper leads to Somadatta and three sons in lotus frames; traditional bold outlines and decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Śāntanu in a gold-arched frame; Devāpi and Bāhlika as attendant princes; Somadatta and his three sons in smaller gilded panels; heavy ornament and gemstone colors.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, neat genealogical branching with elegant figures; emphasis on Somadatta’s three sons as a triad; soft background and clear inscriptions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Śāntanu and princes; side register showing Somadatta with three sons; fine calligraphy labels, detailed textiles, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देवापिः+वाह्लिकः→देवापिर्वाह्लिकः; वाह्लिकः+च→वाह्लिकश् च; च+एव→चैव; सोमदत्तः+तु→सोमदत्तस्तु; वाह्लिकात्+सोमदत्तः→वाह्लिकात्सोमदत्तः; सोमदत्तः+अभूत्→सोमदत्तोऽभूत्; अभूत्+भूरिः→अभुद्भूरिः (द्वित्व/उद्भव-प्रभावः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 277.34-36 (Śāntanu-related genealogy continuation)
FAQs
This verse imparts vamśa-vidyā—genealogical knowledge—by listing the lineage from Śāntanu through Bāhlika to Somadatta and his descendants.
By preserving dynastic enumerations alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana functions as a reference compendium; genealogies anchor historical-memory (Itihāsa-Purāṇa) and contextualize later narratives and dharma discussions.
Remembering and reciting righteous lineages is traditionally treated as smṛti-puṇya (merit from sacred remembrance), reinforcing continuity of dharma through ancestral exemplars.