Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
स्वसायां यक्षरक्षांसि मुनेरश्वरसोभवन् अरिष्टायान्तु गन्धर्वाः कश्यपाद्धि स्थिरञ्चरं
svasāyāṃ yakṣarakṣāṃsi muneraśvarasobhavan ariṣṭāyāntu gandharvāḥ kaśyapāddhi sthirañcaraṃ
De Svāsā naquirent les Yakṣas et les Rākṣasas ; de l’Aśvarasā du sage naquirent d’autres êtres. Mais d’Ariṣṭā naquirent les Gandharvas. En vérité, de Kaśyapa procédèrent tous les êtres, immobiles et mobiles.
Lord Agni (narrating purāṇic genealogy to the inquirer, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Genealogical mapping of beings (yakṣa, rākṣasa, gandharva, sthāvara-jaṅgama) for Purāṇic cosmography and ritual/storytelling contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Prajā-sṛṣṭi: Lineages from Svāsā, Ariṣṭā, and Kaśyapa","lookup_keywords":["svasa","yaksha","rakshasa","arishta","kashyapa"],"quick_summary":"Identifies progenitors for key classes of beings and states Kaśyapa as the universal source of stationary and moving creation in this genealogical frame."}
Concept: Prajā-sṛṣṭi through named progenitors; unity of creation under Kaśyapa as a generative principle.
Application: Framework for interpreting mythic ethnography (gandharvas/yakṣas/rākṣasas) and integrating them into a single cosmological genealogy.
Khanda Section: Sarga / Prajā-sṛṣṭi (Cosmogony and Genealogies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A genealogical scene: Svāsā giving rise to Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; Ariṣṭā giving rise to Gandharvas with instruments; Kaśyapa as a sage at the center from whom emerge both plants (stationary) and animals/humans (moving).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Kaśyapa rishi seated with jata and kamandalu, emanating streams forming yakṣas (semi-divine guardians), rākṣasas (fierce forms), gandharvas with veena; stylized trees and animals for sthāvara-jaṅgama; temple border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Kaśyapa with gold halo, embossed ornaments on gandharvas, yakṣas as regal guardians, rākṣasas subdued at edges; gold-leaf accents and symmetrical genealogy layout.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined lines and gentle colors; diagrammatic genealogy: Svāsā on one side birthing yakṣa/rākṣasa groups, Ariṣṭā birthing gandharvas with instruments, Kaśyapa central with vines and animals radiating outward.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly gandharvas with instruments, detailed sage portrait of Kaśyapa, yakṣas as forest guardians, rākṣasas in shadowed grove; balanced composition with flora/fauna indicating stationary and moving beings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मुनेरश्वरसोभवन् = मुनेः अश्व-रसः अभवन्; कश्यपाद्धि = कश्यपात् हि; स्थिरञ्चरम् = स्थिर-चरम्. (पाठे ‘स्वसायां’ इत्यत्र ‘स्वसायााम्’ = स्वसायााम्/स्वसायाम् loc. sg.)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 19 (Prajā-sṛṣṭi sequence)
FAQs
This verse imparts purāṇic prajā-sṛṣṭi (cosmogonic genealogy): it classifies specific non-human beings (Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Gandharvas) by their maternal line within Kaśyapa’s progeny.
By cataloging categories of beings and their origins, it functions like a mythic taxonomy—one of the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic modes—supporting later sections that reference these classes in ritual, cosmology, and narrative contexts.
It frames the universe as an ordered, lineage-based creation under Kaśyapa, encouraging a dhārmic worldview where beings have defined origins and roles—supporting reverence for cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) rather than moral chaos.