Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 5
Chapter 16 — बुद्धाद्यवतारकथनम्
Narration of Buddha and Other Incarnations
नरकार्हं कर्म चक्रुर्ग्रहीष्यन्त्यधमादपि सर्वे कलियुगान्ते तु भविष्यन्ति च सङ्कराः
narakārhaṃ karma cakrurgrahīṣyantyadhamādapi sarve kaliyugānte tu bhaviṣyanti ca saṅkarāḥ
They will commit deeds deserving of hell, and all will resort even to the lowest means. At the end of the Kali age they will become “saṅkara”—a mixed and confused populace, born of social and moral disorder.
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana’s yuga-dharma account, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Yuga-dharma vigilance: use the described moral symptoms as a diagnostic checklist for personal conduct, community ethics, and governance; strengthen dharmic safeguards when signs intensify.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kali-yuga Dharma-kshaya Lakshana: Narakarha-karma and Sankara","lookup_keywords":["Kali-yuga","dharma-kshaya","naraka-arha karma","saṅkara","adhama-upāya"],"quick_summary":"The verse lists Kali-yuga markers: hell-deserving actions, adoption of base means, and social-moral ‘saṅkara’ (confusion/mixing). Treat it as a warning-sign index to correct behavior and institutions early."}
Concept: Adharma manifests as naraka-arha karma and culminates in saṅkara (norm-confusion) at Kali’s end.
Application: Adopt yama-niyama-like restraints, truthful livelihood, and community accountability to prevent ‘adhama’ means becoming normalized.
Khanda Section: Kali-yuga Phala & Dharma-Kshaya (Eschatology / Yuga-dharma)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A darkening Kali-yuga tableau: people committing cruel acts, choosing base livelihoods, and society dissolving into confused mixed norms; a looming sense of ‘end-of-age’ disorder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, crowded Kali-yuga street scene with unrighteous acts and social confusion, symbolic dark clouds of Kali above, expressive faces, traditional ornamentation, narrative composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents, allegorical Kali-yuga: personified Kali as shadowy figure behind people committing naraka-arha deeds, gold-highlighted dharma scales tipping, ornate borders, frontal iconic arrangement","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework and soft washes, didactic panel showing ‘good conduct’ vs ‘adhama means’ with labels, ending in ‘saṅkara’ confusion, manuscript-illustration feel","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing of a city under moral decay, officials taking bribes, families in discord, subtle symbolism of time’s wheel, muted palette, intricate architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नरकार्हम् = नरक + अर्हम्; चक्रुर् = चक्रुः (रेफ-सन्धि); ग्रहीष्यन्त्यधमादपि = ग्रहीष्यन्ति + अधमात् + अपि; कलियुगान्ते = कलि-युग-अन्ते (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Kali-yuga lakshana / yuga-dharma sections (same khanda context); Agni Purana: Rajadharma and varna-ashrama discussions (later/adjacent passages)
FAQs
This verse conveys yuga-dharma diagnostics (Kali-yuga lakṣaṇa): a practical indicator-set for recognizing dharma-kṣaya—people adopting adhama conduct and producing social ‘saṅkara’ (disorder/mixing).
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also catalogs time-cycles (yugas) and their societal consequences—functioning as a reference on ethics, social stability, and eschatological prognosis.
It warns that adopting adhama means and committing naraka-arha actions generates severe karmic downfall, culminating in widespread social and moral confusion (saṅkara), especially as Kali-yuga reaches its end.