Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 41
Svāyambhuva-vaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu
मनुष्याश्चोप्जीवन्ति शिल्पं वै भूषणादिकं सुरभी कश्यपाद्रुद्रानेकादश विजज्ञुषी
manuṣyāścopjīvanti śilpaṃ vai bhūṣaṇādikaṃ surabhī kaśyapādrudrānekādaśa vijajñuṣī
मनुष्य शिल्पकर्म—जैसे आभूषण आदि का निर्माण—से ही आजीविका कमाते हैं। सुरभी ने कश्यप से ग्यारह रुद्रों को जन्म दिया।
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Frames social economy: crafts (ornament-making etc.) as legitimate livelihood; also situates Rudra genealogy for ritual remembrance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Shilpa as Livelihood; Surabhī–Kaśyapa and Eleven Rudras","lookup_keywords":["shilpa","bhushana","upajivana","surabhi","ekadasha rudra"],"quick_summary":"The verse notes craft-production (ornaments and related works) as a human means of livelihood, and records Surabhī’s Kaśyapa-lineage connection to the eleven Rudras for genealogical recall."}
Concept: Lokavyavahāra: socially sustaining occupations (śilpa) are part of dharmic order; cosmic lineages map divine functions into the world.
Application: Affirms artisan livelihoods as dharmically valid; supports ritual recitation of divine genealogies in vrata/stotra contexts.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anukramanika (Genealogy and origin-lore of beings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split scene: artisans crafting ornaments (goldsmith at work) alongside a genealogical tableau of Surabhī and Kaśyapa with eleven Rudra emanations.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, warm earthy palette, Surabhī and Kaśyapa seated in divine grove, eleven Rudra forms emerging as haloed figures; foreground goldsmith crafting necklaces and bangles, stylized flora, temple-mural composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Surabhī and Kaśyapa with ornate crowns, eleven Rudras in small aureoles around them, heavy gold foil highlights on jewelry; artisan scene at bottom border with richly detailed ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework showing step-by-step ornament crafting tools (anvil, hammer, wire-drawing), with a side panel of Surabhī–Kaśyapa and labeled eleven Rudras, muted colors and delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, workshop interior with jewelers and trays of ornaments; in an upper register, Surabhī and Kaśyapa in a garden pavilion with eleven Rudra figures rendered as subtle luminous silhouettes"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मनुष्याः + च → मनुष्याश्च; च + उपजीवन्ति → चोपजीवन्ति (IAST ‘copjīvanti’); कश्यपात् + रुद्रान् → कश्यपाद्रुद्रान्; रुद्रान् + एकादश → रुद्रानेकादश.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 18 (Sarga/Vamsha context); Agni Purana 19 (Kaśyapa lineage continuation)
FAQs
It notes śilpa (artisan craft) as a recognized means of livelihood—specifically ornament-making—alongside a genealogical fact about Surabhī and the eleven Rudras.
In a single verse it juxtaposes social-economic knowledge (human subsistence through crafts) with cosmic genealogy (Surabhī–Kaśyapa lineage producing the eleven Rudras), showing the text’s breadth across worldly and divine domains.
By affirming honest livelihood through śilpa and situating beings within sacred lineages, it frames worldly work and cosmic order (dharma and creation) as interconnected within a Puranic worldview.