Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 21
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
अक्षौहिणीप्रमाणन्तु अश्वत्थामा महाबलः द्रौपदेयान् सपाञ्चालान् धृष्टद्युम्नञ्च सो ऽबधीत्
akṣauhiṇīpramāṇantu aśvatthāmā mahābalaḥ draupadeyān sapāñcālān dhṛṣṭadyumnañca so 'badhīt
しかし大いなる力を具えたアシュヴァッターマンは、ドラウパディーの子らをパンチャーラ族とともに、さらにドゥリシュタデュムナをも殺し、アクシャウヒニーに等しい規模の殺戮をもたらした。
Lord Agni (narrating puranic-encyclopedic synopsis to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Epic exemplum illustrating night-raid ethics, consequences of adharma in war, and the scale of casualties (akṣauhiṇī) for historical/strategic comprehension.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Aśvatthāmā’s nocturnal slaughter of the Draupadeyas and Pāñcālas (akṣauhiṇī-scale)","lookup_keywords":["Aśvatthāmā","Draupadeya-vadha","Pāñcāla","Dhṛṣṭadyumna","akṣauhiṇī"],"quick_summary":"Records Aśvatthāmā’s mass killing of Draupadī’s sons and allied Pāñcālas, framed as catastrophic, akṣauhiṇī-scale slaughter—used as a cautionary war-narrative exemplum."}
Weapon Type: Sword (implied in night massacre) / general śastra
Concept: Adharma in warfare yields disproportionate destruction and enduring blame; violence against the defenseless is condemned in epic memory.
Application: Use as ethical guideline in leadership/military conduct: restrain vengeance, uphold rules of engagement, protect the vulnerable.
Khanda Section: Itihasa–Mahabharata-sankshipta (Epic Synopsis / War Narrative)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Aśvatthāmā, fierce and armed, moving through the sleeping camp, slaying the Draupadeyas and Pāñcāla warriors; Dhṛṣṭadyumna fallen; atmosphere of night, torches, chaos.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, night camp scene at Kurukṣetra, Aśvatthāmā with intense eyes and warrior ornaments, torchlight, sleeping tents, fallen Pāñcāla soldiers, dramatic red-black palette, stylized expressions of raudra and karuṇā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central fierce Aśvatthāmā in ornate armor with gold highlights, simplified camp backdrop, fallen warriors arranged symmetrically, rich reds and greens, gold foil accents emphasizing the catastrophic act.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, detailed linework of the war-camp, controlled composition showing sequential action (approach, strike, aftermath), muted night tones with delicate ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, nocturnal raid with fine detailing of tents, weapons, and faces; torchlight illumination, dynamic diagonals, multiple figures in a compact battlefield-camp setting, emphasis on narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रमाणन्तु → प्रमाणम् + तु; धृष्टद्युम्नञ्च → धृष्टद्युम्नम् + च; सोऽबधीत् → सः + अबधीत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Itihāsa-khaṇḍa Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa sections on Kurukṣetra aftermath; Agni Purana dharma sections on śrāddha/dāna (context for later rites)
FAQs
This verse imparts Itihasa-based knowledge of ancient Indian military terminology—especially the unit “akṣauhiṇī” as a standard measure of army strength—within a concise Mahābhārata war synopsis.
By compressing a key Mahābhārata episode into a single verse while preserving technical war vocabulary (akṣauhiṇī) and named historical actors, the Agni Purana functions as a reference compendium that catalogs narrative history alongside other disciplines.
The verse highlights the grave karmic weight of mass killing and the tragic consequences of vengeance in war, serving as a dharmic caution that violence—even in a martial context—carries severe moral and spiritual repercussions.