Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 11
Chapter 13 — कुरुपाण्डवोत्पत्त्यादिकथनं
Narration of the Origin of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, and Related Matters
कर्णः कुन्त्यां हि कन्यायां जातो दुर्योधाश्रितः कुरुपाण्डवयोर्वैरन्दैवयोगाद्बभूव ह
karṇaḥ kuntyāṃ hi kanyāyāṃ jāto duryodhāśritaḥ kurupāṇḍavayorvairandaivayogādbabhūva ha
કર્ણ કુંતીના ગર્ભે, તે અવિવાહિત કન્યા હતી ત્યારે જ જન્મ્યો; તે દુર્યોધનનો આશ્રિત (પક્ષમાં) બન્યો. દૈવયોગથી કુરુઓ અને પાંડવો વચ્ચે વૈર ઊભું થયું.
Lord Agni (narrating Purana material to Vashistha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Explains Karṇa’s birth circumstances and political alignment, useful for ethical discussion on loyalty, social status, and fate in Itihasa narration.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Karna’s Birth and Alignment with Duryodhana; Rise of Kuru–Pāṇḍava Enmity","lookup_keywords":["Karna Kunti maiden","Duryodhana ally","Kuru Pandava enmity","daiva-yoga","Mahabharata synopsis"],"quick_summary":"States that Karṇa was born to Kuntī before marriage, later aligned with Duryodhana, and that the great feud arose through the workings of fate."}
Concept: Daiva-yoga (conjunction of fate) as a driver of social conflict; dharmic ambiguity in allegiance and identity.
Application: Ethical reflection in discourse: how personal gratitude/loyalty can conflict with broader dharma; caution in court politics.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Purana-Katha (Mahabharata-related genealogical narrative)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kuntī as a young maiden with newborn Karṇa; later Karṇa standing beside Duryodhana in the Kuru court, with a shadow of impending feud between Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-scene narrative: maiden Kuntī with infant Karṇa, then Karṇa beside Duryodhana in royal assembly, stylized faces, bold outlines, symbolic dark cloud motif for daiva-yoga and enmity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, courtly tableau with Duryodhana and Karṇa under gold halos, inset vignette of Kuntī with infant, heavy jewelry, gold embossing, rich maroon background, dharma tension conveyed through posture and gaze.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, sequential panels with captions: Karṇa’s birth to maiden Kuntī, then alliance with Duryodhana, delicate ornamentation, soft colors, emphasis on narrative clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate birth chamber scene for Kuntī and infant, contrasted with a detailed durbar scene where Karṇa stands near Duryodhana, fine textiles, architectural arches, subtle expressions of rivalry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुर्योधाश्रितः→दुर्योधन-आश्रितः; कुरुपाण्डवयोः→कुरु-पाण्डवयोः (द्वन्द्व); वैरन्दैवयोगात्→वैरम् दैवयोगात्; दैवयोगाद्बभूव→दैवयोगात् बभूव।
Related Themes: Agni Purana Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa passages on Karṇa and the Kuru conflict
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidya is taught here; the verse functions as itihasa narration, summarizing Karna’s birth and political alignment that catalyzes the Kuru–Pandava conflict.
It shows the Agni Purana’s compendious scope by incorporating Itihasa material (Mahabharata persons and causation) alongside its many other domains, preserving key narrative nodes like Karna’s origin and the rise of dynastic hostility.
By attributing the feud’s emergence to daiva-yoga (fated conjunction), the verse highlights karmic causality and the inevitability of certain results when personal choices (patronage, allegiance) intersect with destiny.