Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 16
Chapter 276 — राजवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Royal Lineages
वृहद्रथाद्विश्वजिच्च कर्णो विश्वजितो ऽभवत् कर्णस्य वृषसेनस्तु पृथुसेनस्तदात्मजः एतो ऽङ्गवंशजा भूपाः पूरोर्वंशं विबोध मे
vṛhadrathādviśvajicca karṇo viśvajito 'bhavat karṇasya vṛṣasenastu pṛthusenastadātmajaḥ eto 'ṅgavaṃśajā bhūpāḥ pūrorvaṃśaṃ vibodha me
વૃહદ્રથથી વિશ્વજિત થયો અને વિશ્વજિતથી કર્ણ થયો. કર્ણનો પુત્ર વૃષસેન અને તેનો પુત્ર પૃથુસેન થયો. આ અંગવંશજ ભૂપતિઓ છે; હવે મારી પાસેથી પૂરુવંશ જાણો.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Marks the culmination of the Aṅga line up to Karṇa and his descendants, then signals a transition to the Paurava/Puru lineage—useful for structuring Purāṇic dynastic study.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Aṅga-vaṁśa conclusion and transition: Vṛhadratha–Viśvajit–Karṇa–Vṛṣasena–Pṛthusena; segue to Puru-vaṁśa","lookup_keywords":["Vṛhadratha","Viśvajit","Karṇa","Vṛṣasena","Puru-vaṁśa"],"quick_summary":"Concludes the Aṅga dynastic list by naming Karṇa and his descendants, then explicitly announces the shift to narrating Puru’s lineage. Functions as a sectional colophon/transition marker."}
Concept: Structured knowledge transmission: completion of one vaṁśa and commencement of another under a single narratorial authority.
Application: Helps readers segment the text for study/recitation and build a mental index of dynastic modules.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of Royal Dynasties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A narrator completes the Aṅga genealogy with Karṇa and his descendants, then turns a manuscript page labeled ‘Puru-vaṁśa’ to begin the next lineage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sūta-narrator with palm-leaf manuscript, two panels: left showing Aṅga kings ending with Karṇa, right panel opening labeled Puru-vaṁśa, bold colors and clear segmentation","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, narrator seated with manuscript, gold-leaf highlights on the page border, Karṇa depicted as a royal figure in a side vignette, transition scroll reading Puru-vaṁśa","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic split-scene with genealogy list and a clear heading for the next lineage, fine linework and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, historian turning an illustrated folio from Aṅga genealogy to Puru genealogy, detailed calligraphy headings, portrait medallions of Karṇa and descendants"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Raga Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वृहद्रथात् + विश्वजित् + च → वृहद्रथाद्विश्वजिच्च; विश्वजितः + अभवत् → विश्वजितो 'भवत्; वृषसेनः + तु → वृषसेनस्तु; तत् + आत्मजः → तदात्मजः; एते + अङ्गवंशजाः → एतो 'ङ्गवंशजाः (ओऽ sandhi)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: subsequent Puru/Paurava vaṁśa narration (immediately following section)
FAQs
This verse imparts vaṃśa-vidyā (dynastic genealogical knowledge): the sequential listing of kings in the Aṅga line and a transition toward the Paurava (Puru) lineage.
By preserving structured royal genealogies (names, descent, and dynastic identifiers), it functions as a historical-chronological register alongside the Purana’s many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, architecture, and poetics).
Remembering and transmitting righteous dynastic lineages is treated in Purāṇic tradition as dharma-smṛti—supporting reverence for ancestral kingship, continuity of dharma, and the merit of preserving sacred history.