Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 18
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
शल्यो दिनार्धं युयुधे ह्य् अबधीत्तं युधिष्ठिरः युयुधे भीमसेनेन हतसैन्यः सुयोधनः
śalyo dinārdhaṃ yuyudhe hy abadhīttaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ yuyudhe bhīmasenena hatasainyaḥ suyodhanaḥ
Śalya fought for half a day; then Yudhiṣṭhira indeed slew him. Suyodhana (Duryodhana), his army destroyed, fought with Bhīmasena.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic/Itihāsa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse frame)
Primary Rasa: Vira
Secondary Rasa: Raudra
Type: Kingdom
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दिनार्धम् = दिन-अर्धम्; ह्यबधीत् = हि + अबधीत्; अबधीत्तम् = अबधीत् + तम्.
FAQs
This verse conveys Itihāsa-based kṣatriya-yuddha context—key battle outcomes (Śalya’s death and Duryodhana’s final engagement), rather than a ritual or medical procedure.
By incorporating a concise Mahābhārata battlefield recap, the Agni Purana functions as a compendium that preserves Itihāsa narrative alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, arts, and sciences).
It underscores the moral gravity of dharma-yuddha: outcomes hinge on destiny and dharma, and the destruction of armies highlights the karmic cost of adharma-driven conflict.