Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 22
Somavaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lunar Dynasty
वृषपर्वजा शर्मिष्ठा ययातेः पञ्च तत्सुताः यदुञ्च तुर्वसुञ्चैव देवयानी व्यजायत
vṛṣaparvajā śarmiṣṭhā yayāteḥ pañca tatsutāḥ yaduñca turvasuñcaiva devayānī vyajāyata
Śarmiṣṭhā, hija de Vṛṣaparvan, dio a Yayāti cinco hijos; y Devayānī también dio a luz a Yadu y a Turvasu.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic genealogy to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Remembering dynastic succession and maternal line distinctions (Śarmiṣṭhā vs Devayānī) for interpreting later political/ethical episodes in Yadu–Turvasu lines.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Yayāti’s sons from Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī","lookup_keywords":["Śarmiṣṭhā","Vṛṣaparvan","Devayānī","Yadu","Turvasu"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates offspring attribution by queen/consort, establishing the branching of lineages crucial for later Itihāsa-Purāṇa narratives."}
Concept: Purāṇic dharma preserves memory of ancestry and social obligations through accurate vaṃśa-smṛti.
Application: Use genealogical awareness to contextualize duties, alliances, and narrative causality in dharma-itihāsa study.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of Kings and Lineages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two queens/consorts of Yayāti—Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī—presented with their sons; a genealogical tree motif showing branches labeled Yadu and Turvasu and other sons.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Yayāti seated as king, Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī standing on either side with children grouped, stylized vaṃśa-vṛkṣa (genealogy tree) behind with name labels, traditional ornaments and flat color fields","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, royal portrait of Yayāti with two consorts, children arranged symmetrically, gold leaf highlighting crowns and jewelry, decorative genealogy scroll at the bottom naming Yadu and Turvasu","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, manuscript-like genealogical diagram integrated with figures: neat labels for sons, soft background wash, emphasis on clarity of lineage branching","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court interior with Yayāti, two noblewomen, attendants holding infants/children, a painted genealogical chart on a scroll being read aloud, intricate textiles and architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yaduñca = yadum ca; turvasuñcaiva = turvasum ca eva.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 273.23 (Druhyu–Anu–Pūru listing); Agni Purana 274.1 (start of Yaduvaṃśa)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse transmits vamśa-vidyā—dynastic genealogy—by naming Yayāti’s sons through Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī.
By preserving lineage data (vamśa lists), the Agni Purana functions as a historical-chronological register alongside its ritual, dharma, and śāstra materials—one strand of its encyclopedic compilation.
Genealogical remembrance supports purāṇic smṛti and śravaṇa: recalling dharmic lineages is treated as meritorious and frames later teachings through exemplars of kingship, duty, and consequence.