Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 5
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
तंसुरोघः प्रतिरथः पुरस्तो मतिनारजाः आसीत्पतिरथात्कण्वः कण्वान्मेधातिथिस्त्वभूत्
taṃsuroghaḥ pratirathaḥ purasto matinārajāḥ āsītpatirathātkaṇvaḥ kaṇvānmedhātithistvabhūt
In jener Linie waren Taṁsurogha, Pratiratha, Purasta und Matināra. Aus Patiratha wurde Kaṇva geboren; und aus Kaṇva wurde wahrlich Medhātithi geboren.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogies to Vasiṣṭha, per the Agni Purāṇa’s dominant dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Links royal and rishi lineages (Kaṇva, Medhātithi), useful for tracing gotra/pravara traditions and contextualizing later ritual authorities.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Lineage node: Patiratha → Kaṇva → Medhātithi (with Taṃsurogha, Pratiratha, Purasta, Matināra)","lookup_keywords":["Kanva","Medhatithi","Patiratha","Matinara","Pratiratha"],"quick_summary":"Provides a compact succession list culminating in Kaṇva and Medhātithi, names significant for later Brahmanical/ritual line associations."}
Concept: Interweaving of kṣatriya and brāhmaṇa lineages as a Purāṇic model for preserving dharma through both rule and ritual knowledge.
Application: Use in pravara/gotra recollection and in framing authority of ritual teachers connected to Kaṇva/Medhātithi names in later tradition.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of sages and royal lines)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lineage tableau transitioning from kings to a sage: royal figures in sequence leading to Ṛṣi Kaṇva, then Medhātithi as a learned successor with manuscript and sacrificial implements.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: procession of crowned kings leading to a serene Kaṇva with matted hair and kamandalu; Medhātithi seated with palm-leaf; muted greens/ochres, temple-border ornament.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Kaṇva and Medhātithi highlighted with gold halos; kings shown smaller in side panels; embossed gold on manuscripts and ritual vessels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced composition showing genealogy as a flowchart from kings to sages; fine facial detailing; clear labels; calm scholarly ambience.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: court-to-hermitage transition in one frame—left a court lineage, right a forest āśrama with Kaṇva teaching Medhātithi; detailed flora, textiles, and calligraphy captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आसीत्पतिरथात्कण्वः→āsīt patirathāt kaṇvaḥ; कण्वान्मेधातिथिस्त्वभूत्→kaṇvāt medhātithiḥ tu abhūt.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: further vaṃśa lists where Kaṇva/Medhātithi reappear; Agni Purana: dharma/ācāra passages that presuppose gotra-line memory
FAQs
This verse primarily transmits vamśa-vidyā (genealogical knowledge): the remembered succession of sages/figures, which functions as an authoritative index for Purāṇic and Vedic tradition rather than a ritual procedure.
By cataloging names and successions (Taṁsurogha → … → Kaṇva → Medhātithi), it supplies a reference framework used across Purāṇic topics—ritual, dharma, and history—helping readers situate teachings within recognized lineages.
Remembering and reciting sacred lineages is traditionally considered purifying (smṛti and śravaṇa of revered lines), reinforcing continuity of dharma and honoring the rishis through accurate remembrance.