Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 6
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
सङ्क्रामितो ऽभूद्रोहिण्यां रौहिणेयस्ततो हरिः कृष्णाष्टम्याञ्च नभसि अर्धरात्रे चतुर्भुजः
saṅkrāmito 'bhūdrohiṇyāṃ rauhiṇeyastato hariḥ kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāñca nabhasi ardharātre caturbhujaḥ
ત્યારબાદ હરિ રોહિણીમાં સ્થાનાંતરિત થયા; તેથી તેઓ ‘રૌહિણેય’ તરીકે જન્મ્યા. નભસ (ભાદ્રપદ) માસની કૃષ્ણપક્ષ અષ્ટમીના મધરાત્રે તેઓ ચતુર્ભુજ રૂપે પ્રગટ થયા.
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Determining Janmāṣṭamī observance markers (kṛṣṇāṣṭamī, nabhas/bhādrapada, ardharātra) and remembering the four-armed epiphany as a liturgical cue in stotra/vrata recitation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kṛṣṇa’s Appearance on Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī at Midnight (Caturbhuja Darśana)","lookup_keywords":["Rohiṇī","Rauhiṇeya","Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī","Nabhas","ardharātra"],"quick_summary":"Hari is said to be transferred to Rohiṇī (hence Rauhiṇeya) and to manifest on the dark-fortnight eighth tithi in Nabhas at midnight, first appearing in a four-armed form—key calendrical and iconographic cues for worship."}
Concept: Kāla (tithi, month, midnight) as a sacred container for darśana; the Lord’s form is both transcendent (caturbhuja) and accessible (avatāra).
Application: Use the specified time markers for vrata/pujā scheduling; meditate on caturbhuja Viṣṇu during midnight worship before bāla-Kṛṣṇa visualization.
Khanda Section: Avataras (Krishna-Janma / Vaishnava Itihasa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At midnight on Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī, Hari manifests in a radiant four-armed form, with the narrative note of transfer to Rohiṇī (Rauhiṇeya) as background context.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, midnight prison chamber lit by divine aura, caturbhuja Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa with śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma, deep blues and greens, stylized lamps and lotus motifs, devotional grandeur.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central caturbhuja Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu with heavy gold leaf halo, ornate jewelry, symbolic night sky elements, rich maroons and blues, temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative: midnight setting with moon and stars, caturbhuja form emerging in soft glow, fine linework, gentle shading, didactic caption feel.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior with guards and architecture, a luminous four-armed figure at center, delicate starry sky through a window, intricate textiles and subdued yet radiant palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऽभूद्रोहिण्यां = अभूत् + रोहिण्याम्; रौहिणेयस्ततः = रौहिणेयः + ततः; कृष्णाष्टम्याम् = कृष्ण-अष्टम्याम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana Avatara-khaṇḍa: Krishna-janma narrative context (12.5–12.9)
FAQs
It encodes calendrical-ritual timing: Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī in the dark fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa), in the month Nabhas (Bhādrapada), at midnight—key data used for Janmāṣṭamī observance and vrata scheduling.
Beyond theology, it preserves precise sacred-time markers (tithi, month, midnight) and avatāra narrative details (transfer to Rohiṇī; identification of Rauhiṇeya), illustrating how the Agni Purāṇa integrates ritual calendar science with mythic history.
By highlighting the exact birth-time of Hari’s manifestation, it sanctifies Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī-midnight as a meritorious moment for devotion, fasting, and worship, traditionally believed to yield purification and bhakti-growth.