Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 24
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
कृतवर्मा कृपो द्रौणिस्त्रयो मुक्तास्ततो रणात् पाण्डवाः सात्यकिः कृष्णः सप्त मुक्ता न चापरे
kṛtavarmā kṛpo drauṇistrayo muktāstato raṇāt pāṇḍavāḥ sātyakiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sapta muktā na cāpare
ក្រ្តវರ್ಮា កೃព និង ដ្រោណិ (អશ્વត្ថាមា) បីនាក់នេះ បានរួចផុតពីសមរភូមិ។ ចំណែក បណ្ឌវៈ សាត្យគី និង ក្រឹෂ្ណ—សរុបប្រាំពីរនាក់—ត្រូវបានសង្គ្រោះ; មិនមានអ្នកដទៃទៀតត្រូវបានលើកលែងឡើយ។
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Summarizes survivorship and force-balance after war; useful for political-military analysis of succession stability and remaining command structure.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Survivors after the Kurukṣetra aftermath: three escaped; seven saved","lookup_keywords":["Kṛtavarmā","Kṛpa","Drauni","Sātyaki","Pāṇḍava","survivors"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates the principal survivors—three from the opposing side escaped, while seven (Pāṇḍavas, Sātyaki, Kṛṣṇa) remained—marking the war’s near-total annihilation."}
Concept: Impermanence of power and armies; only a remnant remains after collective violence.
Application: Post-crisis governance: focus on reconciliation, security, and succession planning with limited surviving leadership.
Khanda Section: Itihasa–Mahabharata-Sangraha (War narrative / Kurukshetra aftermath)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A bleak battlefield at dawn; three warriors (Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā) departing; in contrast, the seven survivors (Pāṇḍavas, Sātyaki, Kṛṣṇa) stand amid the remnants, surveying the devastation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, wide battlefield panorama, departing trio at one edge, surviving seven grouped with solemn faces, muted palette with strong outlines, sense of emptiness and shānta-karuṇā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, iconic grouping of the seven survivors with Kṛṣṇa central, gold halos and ornaments, minimal battlefield cues, symbolic presentation of ‘remnant of dharma’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, careful labeling-like clarity in figures, subdued colors, emphasis on enumeration and identity of survivors, dawn sky gradient.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, expansive field with scattered weapons and chariots, small figures arranged to show ‘three escaping’ and ‘seven remaining’, fine detail and documentary feel."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मुक्तास्ततः → मुक्ताः + ततः; चापरे → च + अपरे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa: casualty and aftermath summaries; Agni Purana rāja-dharma/daṇḍa passages (if present) relevant to post-war stabilization
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as an itihāsa-style record, enumerating the principal survivors who escaped the battlefield.
By compressing Mahābhārata events into concise, data-like statements (names and outcomes), the Agni Purāṇa acts as a reference compendium—preserving history/itihāsa alongside its many other disciplines.
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war and the rarity of survival, reinforcing the purāṇic theme that large-scale violence yields vast destruction while only a few remain to carry forward dharma and lineage.