Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 44
Svāyambhuva-vaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu
वृषाकपिश् च शम्भुश् च कपर्दी रैवतस् तथा मृगव्याधस्य सर्पश् च कपाली दश चैककः रुद्राणां च शतं लक्षं यैर् व्याप्तं सचराचरं
vṛṣākapiś ca śambhuś ca kapardī raivatas tathā mṛgavyādhasya sarpaś ca kapālī daśa caikakaḥ rudrāṇāṃ ca śataṃ lakṣaṃ yair vyāptaṃ sacarācaraṃ
Vṛṣākapi, Śambhu, Kapardī y asimismo Raivata; Mṛgavyādha, Sarpa, Kapālī, Daśa y Ekaka: por estos nombres/formas, cien mil Rudras impregnan todo el universo, lo móvil y lo inmóvil.
Lord Agni (narrating the Purana’s doctrinal catalogue to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Rudra-nāma recitation for protection and cosmic contemplation; supports Śatarudrīya-style meditation on pervasion (vyāpti).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Rudra Epithets and Universal Pervasion of Rudras","lookup_keywords":["vrishakapi","shambhu","kapardi","kapali","rudra vyapti"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates key Rudra names and asserts Rudra’s pervasive multiplicity—countless Rudras pervade all that moves and does not move—supporting all-pervading Śiva contemplation in worship."}
Alamkara Type: Sankhya (numerical assertion)
Concept: Sacarācara-vyāpti: the divine principle (Rudra) pervades the entire manifest universe, animate and inanimate.
Application: Meditative practice: contemplate Rudra in all beings/objects; ethical corollary—reverence and restraint toward life and nature.
Khanda Section: Rudra-nama-stotra / Shiva-tattva (Names and cosmic pervasion of Rudras)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic panorama where countless Rudra forms appear across the universe—within forests, mountains, rivers, cities, animals, and celestial spheres—each labeled by an epithet like Śambhu or Kapālī.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, large mandala-like universe filled with repeating Rudra motifs, Kapālī with skull-bowl, Kapardī with matted hair, Sarpa with serpent ornaments, bold outlines and rhythmic repetition across sacra-cara realms","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Śiva with gold aura, surrounding concentric rings of Rudra aspects in medallions, heavy gold foil emphasizing cosmic pervasion, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic cosmos with zones (moving/unmoving) populated by small Rudra icons, each epithet neatly inscribed, refined linework and soft palette for instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape collage—hunters, ascetics, serpents, skull-bearing yogis—interwoven with subtle Rudra presences across scenes, fine brushwork and layered composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Malkauns","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यैः + व्याप्तम् → यैर् व्याप्तम् (रेफ-सन्धि); सचराचरम् = स + चराचरम् (द्वन्द्व: चर + अचर).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 18 (Rudra-nāma-stotra sequence)
FAQs
It transmits Rudra-nāma (a liturgical list of Śiva’s epithets) used for japa, stotra-recitation, and contemplative identification of Rudra’s all-pervading presence.
By cataloguing divine names and functions—here, multiple Rudra-forms and the doctrine of their cosmic pervasion—the text preserves theological, liturgical, and onomastic data alongside its many other disciplines.
Reciting and contemplating these Rudra-names is traditionally held to purify the mind, cultivate auspiciousness (śambhutva), and support devotion by seeing the divine as present throughout all beings (sacarācara).