Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
Chapter 17 — सृष्टिविषयकवर्णनम्
An Account Concerning Creation
आठस्तु महाभारतीयहरिवंशपर्वण उद्धृत इति अध्यवसीयते उभयत्र क्रमेण पाठसाम्यात् तासु बीजमथासृजदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हिरण्यगर्भमभवदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हिरण्यवर्ण इति ग, चिह्नित्गपुस्तकपाठः ससर्ज सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां स्रष्टुमिच्छन् प्रजापतिः विद्युतोशनिमेघांश् च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च
āṭhastu mahābhāratīyaharivaṃśaparvaṇa uddhṛta iti adhyavasīyate ubhayatra krameṇa pāṭhasāmyāt tāsu bījamathāsṛjaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hiraṇyagarbhamabhavaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hiraṇyavarṇa iti ga, cihnitgapustakapāṭhaḥ sasarja sṛṣṭintadrūpāṃ sraṣṭumicchan prajāpatiḥ vidyutośanimeghāṃś ca rohitendradhanūṃṣi ca
Il est établi que cette leçon est citée de la section Harivaṃśa du Mahābhārata, puisque, dans les deux passages, l’ordre du texte concorde. (Des variantes sont notées :) «Alors il jeta la semence en elles»—ainsi lit le manuscrit marqué ; «Il devint Hiraṇyagarbha (l’Embryon d’Or)»—ainsi lit le manuscrit marqué ; «de couleur dorée»—ainsi lit un autre manuscrit marqué. Désireux de créer, Prajāpati produisit une création de cette même forme : éclairs, foudres (vajra), nuages, et les arcs-en-ciel rouges et flamboyants d’Indra.
Lord Agni (narrative voice of the Agni Purana; with embedded redactional/critical-note style variants)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Cosmogonic contemplation used in Purana-recitation, yajna-context framing, and teaching the doctrine of Hiranyagarbha/Prajapati as the creative principle behind meteorological and luminous phenomena.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Hiraṇyagarbha–Prajāpati Sṛṣṭi and Meteoric Forms (vidyut-aśani-megha-indradhanuḥ)","lookup_keywords":["Hiranyagarbha","Prajapati","vidyut","aśani","indradhanuḥ"],"quick_summary":"The passage links Prajāpati’s creative will with the emergence of luminous and atmospheric forms—lightning, thunderbolt, clouds, and Indra’s rainbow—framing them as first-order manifestations of sṛṣṭi."}
Concept: Hiraṇyagarbha/Prajāpati as the intentional cause (saṅkalpa) of manifest forms; sṛṣṭi as transformation into name-and-form including natural phenomena.
Application: Meditative reflection on causality: seeing natural forces as ordered manifestations, supporting śraddhā and a contemplative worldview during ritual/recitation.
Khanda Section: Cosmogony / Sarga (Creation narrative; Hiranyagarbha–Prajapati doctrine)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Prajāpati/Hiraṇyagarbha as a radiant golden cosmic source, emitting lightning forks, thunderbolt flashes, rolling monsoon clouds, and a red-tinged rainbow arc of Indra across a primordial sky.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet rich colors, Prajāpati as golden radiant figure within a cosmic oval (hiraṇyagarbha), stylized blue-black clouds, white lightning, Indra’s red rainbow band, sacred aura, traditional ornamentation, minimal perspective.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central golden Hiraṇyagarbha/Prajāpati with heavy gold leaf halo and embossed ornaments, dramatic cloud motifs, lightning and thunderbolt rendered as gilded streaks, rainbow arc with jewel tones, devotional symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, soft shading, instructional cosmic diagram feel: Prajāpati at center, labeled emanations (cloud, lightning, rainbow) as emanating bands, restrained palette with gold highlights.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing and atmospheric sky, swirling clouds, sharp lightning, a red rainbow arc, Prajāpati depicted as luminous ascetic-creator with subtle halo, intricate borders, naturalistic cloud textures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Megh Malhar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Focused on the metrical verse portion: “ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां स्रष्टुम् इच्छन् प्रजापतिः विद्युतः उशनिम् मेघान् च रोहित-इन्द्रधनूंषि च”. Sandhi resolved: सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां→सृष्टिम् तद्रूपाम्; स्रष्टुमिच्छन्→स्रष्टुम् इच्छन्; विद्युतोशनिमेघांश्च→विद्युतः उशनिम् मेघान् च; रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि→रोहित-इन्द्रधनूंषि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sarga-prakarana passages on Hiraṇyagarbha and Prajāpati; Agni Purana sections narrating Brahmā’s creation and elemental emergence
FAQs
It conveys cosmogonic doctrine: Prajāpati/Hiraṇyagarbha initiates manifestation through a ‘seed’ (bīja) and produces atmospheric phenomena (lightning, thunderbolt, clouds, rainbow), a conceptual ‘science of creation’ rather than a ritual manual.
Alongside theology, it preserves intertextual scholarship: it explicitly links the passage to the Mahābhārata’s Harivaṃśa and records manuscript variants—showing the Purana as a repository of cosmology plus textual tradition and comparative transmission.
By framing natural forces as expressions of Prajāpati’s creative will, it supports a devotional worldview where contemplating creation (sarga) nurtures reverence for divine order (ṛta/dharma) and encourages inward purification through cosmic remembrance.