Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 38
Somavaṃśa-saṃkṣepaḥ
Conclusion of the Lunar Dynasty Description
सुदंष्ट्रश् च सुवासश् च धृष्टो ऽभूदसमौजसः गान्धारी चैव माद्री च धृष्टभार्ये बभूवतुः
sudaṃṣṭraś ca suvāsaś ca dhṛṣṭo 'bhūdasamaujasaḥ gāndhārī caiva mādrī ca dhṛṣṭabhārye babhūvatuḥ
And there were Sudaṃṣṭra and Suvāsa; Dhṛṣṭa was born from Asamaujasa. And Gāndhārī and Mādrī became the two wives of Dhṛṣṭa.
Lord Agni (narrating the Purana’s contents to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Genealogical memory for Itihasa-Purana study; contextualizes dynastic alliances through marriage for interpreting later narratives.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Dhṛṣṭa—wives Gāndhārī and Mādrī; Sudaṃṣṭra, Suvāsa","lookup_keywords":["Dhṛṣṭa","Gāndhārī","Mādrī","Sudaṃṣṭra","Suvāsa"],"quick_summary":"Records a dynastic node: Dhṛṣṭa’s parentage and his two wives, establishing maternal lines for subsequent descendants."}
Concept: Vaṃśa-smṛti (preservation of lineage) as a dharmic duty of Purāṇa.
Application: Use as a mnemonic scaffold for tracing kinship obligations, inheritance, and narrative causality.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies and Dynastic Accounts)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A courtly genealogical tableau: Dhṛṣṭa seated with two queens (Gāndhārī and Mādrī), with attendants presenting lineage scrolls; names of Sudaṃṣṭra and Suvāsa inscribed as princely figures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, royal assembly scene, Dhṛṣṭa with two consorts Gāndhārī and Mādrī, flat vibrant colors, ornate jewelry, palm-leaf manuscript motif, temple-mural composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Dhṛṣṭa enthroned with two queens, heavy gold foil on crowns and ornaments, rich red-green palette, stylized arch backdrop, inscription panels with names","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework, soft shading, genealogical scroll held by a scribe, Dhṛṣṭa and two wives in calm court setting, delicate ornamentation","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, dynastic court portrait, Dhṛṣṭa with two wives, attendants and scribe, fine textile patterns, marginal notes listing Sudaṃṣṭra and Suvāsa"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धृष्टो 'भूत् = धृष्टः + अभूत्; गान्धारी चैव = गान्धारी + च + एव; धृष्टभार्ये = धृष्ट + भार्ये (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); बभूवतुः is dual perfect of √भू.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Vamśānucarita sections continuing Dhṛṣṭa/Anamitra line; Agni Purana: Syamantaka narrative continuation (274.40–274.42)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse serves genealogical documentation—recording names, descent (Asamaujasa → Dhṛṣṭa), and marital relations (Dhṛṣṭa’s two wives).
By preserving lineage data and relational history, it adds a reference-style historical layer to the Agni Purana’s wide scope, complementing its ritual, ethical, and technical sections with dynastic indexing.
The karmic value is indirect: hearing/reciting Purāṇic genealogies is traditionally regarded as smṛti-saṃrakṣaṇa (preservation of sacred memory) and supports dharma by keeping ancestral and royal lineages remembered in a sacred narrative frame.