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, et de même Raivata ; Mṛgavyādha, Sarpa, Kapālī, Daśa et Ekaka : par ces noms/formes, cent mille Rudra pénètrent l’univers entier, le mobile comme l’immobile.
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).