Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
हिरण्याक्षसुताः पञ्च शम्बरः शकुनिस्त्विति द्विमूर्धा शङ्कुरार्यश् च शतमासन् दनोः सुताः
hiraṇyākṣasutāḥ pañca śambaraḥ śakunistviti dvimūrdhā śaṅkurāryaś ca śatamāsan danoḥ sutāḥ
ഹിരണ്യാക്ഷന് അഞ്ചു പുത്രന്മാർ—ശംബർ, ശകുനി, ദ്വിമൂർധ, ശങ്കു, ആര്യ; ദനുവിന്റെ പുത്രന്മാർ നൂറായിരുന്നു.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogies to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for this section of the Agni Purāṇa)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Cataloguing asura lineages (Hiraṇyākṣa’s five; Danu’s hundred) for cross-identification in mythic wars, avatāra cycles, and cosmological genealogies.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Hiraṇyākṣa-putrāḥ and Danu-putrāḥ (enumeration)","lookup_keywords":["Hiraṇyākṣa","Śambara","Dvimūrdhā","Danu","Dānava"],"quick_summary":"Names five sons of Hiraṇyākṣa and notes Danu’s hundred sons, serving as a compact index to Dānava groupings across Purāṇic narratives."}
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anukramanika (Genealogies of Devas, Asuras, and Daityas)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A roster-like depiction: Hiraṇyākṣa with five named sons; a broader background mass indicating Danu’s hundred sons as a vast clan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Hiraṇyākṣa as formidable asura with five princes in a row, each with distinct headgear; behind them a patterned crowd suggesting Danu’s numerous sons, bold outlines and saturated palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Hiraṇyākṣa with gold ornamentation, five sons symmetrically placed, decorative frame; background motif of many faces to imply ‘hundred sons of Danu’","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, semi-diagrammatic group portrait with labels for Śambara, Śakuni, Dvimūrdhā, Śaṅku, Arya; secondary panel indicating ‘Danu-putrāḥ śatam’, clean and didactic","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, assembly of asura nobles, five principal sons foregrounded with individualized garments, a larger gathering behind for Danu’s progeny, architectural courtyard setting"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हिरण्याक्षसुताः → हिरण्याक्षस्य सुताः; शकुनिस्त्विति → शकुनिः तु इति; शङ्कुरार्यश् च → शङ्कुः आर्यः च; शतमासन् → शतम् आसन्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 19 (Hiraṇyākṣa/Hiraṇyakaśipu branches)
FAQs
This verse imparts itihāsa–purāṇa vidyā in the form of vamśa (genealogical) knowledge—enumerating key Daitya figures and the scale of Danu’s progeny, used for contextualizing later mythic events.
By cataloging lineages (names, counts, relationships), the Agni Purāṇa functions like a reference compendium—preserving mythic-historical data that supports narratives across avatāra lore, cosmology, and dharma discussions.
Remembering and reciting Purāṇic genealogies is traditionally treated as śravaṇa-smaraṇa of sacred history, fostering dharmic understanding of cosmic order (daiva–āsura dynamics) and strengthening faith in the Purāṇic worldview.