Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 7
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
दहन्त्य् अशेषं त्रैलोक्यं सपातालतलं द्विज कूर्मपृष्ठसमा भूः स्यात्ततः कालाग्निरुद्रकः
dahanty aśeṣaṃ trailokyaṃ sapātālatalaṃ dvija kūrmapṛṣṭhasamā bhūḥ syāttataḥ kālāgnirudrakaḥ
હે દ્વિજ! તે પાતાળતલ સહિત સમગ્ર ત્રૈલોક્યને નિઃશેષ દહન કરે છે; ત્યારે પૃથ્વી કૂર્મપીઠ જેવી સમતલ બને છે; ત્યારબાદ કાલાગ્નિ-રુદ્ર પ્રગટ થાય છે।
Lord Agni (narrating the Purāṇic teaching)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Eschatological visualization of pralaya: total world-conflagration, leveling of earth, and emergence of Kālāgni-Rudra—used in teaching impermanence and cosmic cycles.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kālāgni-Rudra and the burning of the three worlds","lookup_keywords":["pralaya","kālāgni-rudra","trailokya-dahana","pātāla","kūrma-pṛṣṭha"],"quick_summary":"At dissolution, the cosmic fire consumes the three worlds including the nether regions; the earth becomes flat like a tortoise’s back, and the Kālāgni-Rudra principle manifests as the agent of destruction."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: Kāla (time) as the ultimate dissolver; worlds are contingent and cyclically reabsorbed.
Application: Cultivate vairāgya (dispassion) and dharma-oriented living by reflecting on the inevitability of dissolution.
Khanda Section: Pralaya (Cosmic Dissolution) and Eschatology
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast cosmic firestorm engulfing the three worlds; the earth rendered as a flattened oval like a tortoise shell; Kālāgni-Rudra arising amid flames.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, fierce Kālāgni-Rudra with flaming prabhā, swirling red-black fire consuming layered lokas, stylized pātāla bands below, earth shown as kūrma-back silhouette, dramatic sacred composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Kālāgni-Rudra with gold-embossed flames, heavy ornaments, fiery halo, miniature bands showing pātāla and bhū-loka burning, earth as tortoise-back motif, devotional yet awe-inspiring","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional cosmology panel: three-tier loka diagram with flames, labeled regions, Rudra figure at center-right emitting time-fire, refined lines and muted palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic inferno over a stratified universe, detailed smoke and flame, Rudra as a fierce ascetic deity in the center, earth depicted as smooth tortoise-back plane, fine gilding for fire"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dahanty aśeṣam → dahanti aśeṣam; syāttataḥ → syāt tataḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Pralaya-nirūpaṇa passages on Kālāgni, Rudra, and loka-dahana; Agni Purana cosmography sections describing pātālas and bhu-loka form
FAQs
It conveys cosmological doctrine (pralaya-vidyā): the time-fire consumes the three worlds including Pātāla, culminating in the manifestation of Kālāgni-Rudra as the dissolving force.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana catalogs cosmology and eschatology, detailing the mechanics and imagery of dissolution (worlds, nether regions, and Rudra as time-fire).
It instills vairāgya (detachment) by emphasizing impermanence: even the entire cosmos is consumed in time, directing the listener toward dharma and liberation-oriented priorities.