Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 29
Chapter 13 — कुरुपाण्डवोत्पत्त्यादिकथनं
Narration of the Origin of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, and Related Matters
विश्वरूपन्दर्शयित्वा अधृष्यं विदुरार्चितः प्रागाद्युधिष्ठिरं प्राह योधयैनं सुयोधनम्
viśvarūpandarśayitvā adhṛṣyaṃ vidurārcitaḥ prāgādyudhiṣṭhiraṃ prāha yodhayainaṃ suyodhanam
抗しがたいヴィシュヴァルーパ（宇宙の聖なる普遍相）を示し、ヴィドゥラに敬われたのち、彼はユディシュティラのもとへ赴き言った。「スヨーダナに戦わせよ。」
Agni (narrating puranic-itihasa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Teaches the theological assertion of divine sovereignty (viśvarūpa) as a moral warning; also frames counsel to act decisively when peace fails.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Viśvarūpa-darśana to Duryodhana & counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira","lookup_keywords":["viśvarūpa","Vidura","Kṛṣṇa","Yudhiṣṭhira","yoddhaya"],"quick_summary":"After revealing the universal form—beyond resistance—Kṛṣṇa, honored by Vidura, returns to advise Yudhiṣṭhira to proceed to war against Suyodhana."}
Alamkara Type: Vibhavana (rasa-uddeepana)
Concept: Īśvara-svarūpa as viśvarūpa: the divine pervades and transcends all; adharma cannot ‘contain’ or defeat the cosmic order.
Application: Cultivate discernment: reverence and alignment with dharma (Vidura-model) and readiness to act when adharma is irreformable.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-katha (Mahabharata narrative / Rajadharma context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kṛṣṇa manifests Viśvarūpa—cosmic bodies, worlds, flames, celestial beings—while Vidura reverently honors; then Kṛṣṇa returns to Yudhiṣṭhira giving firm counsel to fight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, monumental Viśvarūpa filling the frame with concentric cosmic motifs, Kṛṣṇa as radiant center, Vidura in añjali at the base, stylized flames and celestial beings, temple-mural palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Viśvarūpa with heavy gold work and embossed aureole, miniature worlds and devas within the form, Vidura worshipping, ornate borders, luminous gold dominance","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, two-scene narrative: (1) Viśvarūpa revelation with detailed iconographic elements; (2) Kṛṣṇa advising Yudhiṣṭhira in calm council, fine linework and soft gradients","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, imaginative cosmic vision rendered with delicate detail—stars, beings, flames—Kṛṣṇa towering, Vidura reverent; second vignette of strategic council in a tented camp"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विश्वरूपन्दर्शयित्वा = विश्वरूपम् + दर्शयित्वा. विदुरार्चितः = विदुर + अर्चितः. प्रागाद्युधिष्ठिरं = प्रागात् + युधिष्ठिरम्. योधयैनं = योधय + एनम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Itihasa-samgraha: Kṛṣṇa-dūta episode and war decision sequence
FAQs
This verse imparts pragmatic rajadharma counsel in an itihasa frame: after a divine demonstration of authority (viśvarūpa/adhṛṣya), the instruction is to compel engagement in battle—i.e., move from negotiation to sanctioned conflict against Suyodhana.
It shows the Agni Purana’s wide scope by embedding Mahabharata-derived statecraft and war-decision counsel (rajadharma/dharma-yuddha) alongside its many other domains (ritual, medicine, architecture, poetics), functioning as a compendium of actionable guidance through narrative exempla.
The karmic takeaway is that when adharma becomes entrenched, a righteous king may be directed toward dharma-yuddha; the verse frames forceful action as legitimate when grounded in duty rather than personal hatred, following a higher (divine) sanction symbolized by the ‘unassailable’ universal form.