Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 10
Viṣṇu-Pañjara (विष्णुपञ्जरम्) — The Protective Armor of Viṣṇu
सिंहादयश् च पशवो दन्दशूकाश् च पन्नगाः सर्वे भवन्तु ते सौम्याः कृष्णशङ्खरवाहताः
siṃhādayaś ca paśavo dandaśūkāś ca pannagāḥ sarve bhavantu te saumyāḥ kṛṣṇaśaṅkharavāhatāḥ
Semoga binatang buas seperti singa, makhluk yang menggigit, dan para ular—semuanya menjadi lembut terhadapmu, ditundukkan oleh gema śaṅkha hitam.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Śānti-prayoga to pacify dangerous animals and biting creatures through the apotropaic sound of a ‘black conch’ (kṛṣṇa-śaṅkha) used as protective sonic implement.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kṛṣṇa-Śaṅkha-Rava Śānti (Pacifying Lions, Biting Creatures, Serpents)","lookup_keywords":["kṛṣṇa-śaṅkha","rava","śānti","pannaga","siṃha"],"quick_summary":"The verse prescribes pacification: even lions, biting creatures, and serpents are to become gentle when subdued by the resonant sound of the black conch. It encodes a sound-based protective rite."}
Alamkara Type: Śabda-anuprāsa / Nāda-pradhāna prayoga (sound-centered effect)
Concept: Śabda (sacred sound) can transform hostility into saumya-bhāva (gentleness); protection may be achieved by śānti rather than destruction.
Application: Use conch-sound (literal ritual blowing or mantraic visualization of its rava) when entering risky spaces (forest, travel) to reduce fear and symbolically pacify threats.
Khanda Section: Mantra & Raksha (Protective Rites / Shanti-Prayoga)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A black conch is blown; visible sound-waves spread outward. Lions, biting creatures, and serpents soften—lowering heads, relaxing coils—becoming gentle under the conch’s resonance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest/devotee blowing a dark conch, stylized sound-waves as lotus-like arcs, lions and serpents rendered in traditional forms becoming calm, warm temple palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, black conch highlighted with gold embossing, radiant sound aura in gold, animals arranged symmetrically turning gentle, rich jewel tones, devotional protection theme","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear depiction of conch-blowing and animal behavior change, soft gradients, instructional clarity, sound-waves drawn as neat bands","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, forest-edge scene with conch-blower, delicate sound ripples, detailed lion and serpents calming, fine flora and fauna, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"pacifying","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: siṃhādayaś = siṃha-ādayaḥ; dandaśūkāś = daṃdaśūkāḥ (anusvāra/orthographic variation); kṛṣṇaśaṅkharavāhatāḥ resolved as kṛṣṇa-śaṅkha-rava-āhatāḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana rakṣā and śānti-prayoga passages using sound/āyudha attributes; Agni Purana Viṣṇu-āyudha invocations (śaṅkha) in kavaca contexts
FAQs
It conveys a rakṣā/śānti-prayoga: a protective pacification formula intended to neutralize danger from wild beasts, venomous biters, and serpents, invoking their becoming ‘saumya’ (benign) through the conch’s reverberation.
Alongside theology and cosmology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical applied rites—protective mantras and pacification procedures—for real-world hazards (animal and snake threats), showing its broad scope across ritual technology and daily-life safeguards.
As a śānti-oriented act, it is aimed at removing fear and harm by restoring auspiciousness and non-violence in one’s surroundings; the intended merit is protection and the pacification of hostile forces rather than retaliation.