Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 12
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
तयोर्युद्धं बभूवोग्रं यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनम् विराटद्रुपदाद्याश् च निमग्ना द्रोणसागरे
tayoryuddhaṃ babhūvograṃ yamarāṣṭravivardhanam virāṭadrupadādyāś ca nimagnā droṇasāgare
Entre eux deux s’éleva un combat terrible, qui fit croître le royaume de Yama (c’est-à-dire le nombre des morts). Virāṭa, Drupada et d’autres sombrèrent (périrent) dans l’océan de Droṇa.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic summary to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Conveys the lethality of battle and the concept of mass-casualty outcomes; useful for ethical reflection on warfare and for narrative framing of decisive engagements.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Ugra-yuddha and Yama-rāṣṭra-vivardhana","lookup_keywords":["ugra yuddha","Yama-rāṣṭra","Virāṭa","Drupada","Droṇa-sāgara"],"quick_summary":"The battle is portrayed as death-amplifying (increasing Yama’s realm). Key kings like Virāṭa and Drupada are said to ‘sink’ in the overwhelming ‘ocean’ of Droṇa."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (metaphor: Droṇa as ocean)
Concept: War’s fruits are measured not only in victory but in the moral weight of death and loss.
Application: Cultivate restraint and truthful counsel in conflict; recognize the karmic and social cost of mass violence.
Khanda Section: Itihasa–Mahabharata-Samgraha (Puranic war-narrative and dharma history)
Primary Rasa: Raudra
Secondary Rasa: Karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast melee; Droṇa’s onslaught likened to an ocean swallowing kings like Virāṭa and Drupada; imagery of waves of troops and falling standards.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized ocean-like battlefield with wave motifs blending into ranks of soldiers, Droṇa as towering central figure, Virāṭa and Drupada shown falling, dramatic reds and ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Droṇa dominant with gold-highlighted armor, surrounding figures of kings sinking amid swirling troop patterns, ornate borders, symbolic Yama motifs subtly in background","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative panels: (1) clash of commanders, (2) Virāṭa falls, (3) Drupada falls; delicate shading and readable action","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, crowded battle scene with precise faces and banners, fallen kings identified by attendants, dynamic diagonals suggesting ‘waves’ of attack"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तयोर्युद्धं → तयोः युद्धम्; बभूवोग्रं → बभूव उग्रम्; विराटद्रुपदाद्याश् → विराटद्रुपदाद्याः.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa Mahābhārata-saṃgraha passages on Droṇa’s day and the fall of allied kings
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as Itihāsa-saṅgraha—summarizing war events and emphasizing the scale of death (yamarāṣṭra-vivardhana).
It shows the Agni Purana’s compendious method: alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, it also preserves compressed Itihāsa material—here, a Mahābhārata war synopsis naming key figures and outcomes.
By framing slaughter as “increasing Yama’s realm,” the verse highlights the karmic gravity of war and mortality—reminding readers that violent conflict culminates in death and accountability under Yama’s order.