Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 14
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
कंसो ऽपि पूतनादींश् च प्रेषयद्बालनाशने यशोदापतिनन्दाय वसुदेवेन चार्पितौ
kaṃso 'pi pūtanādīṃś ca preṣayadbālanāśane yaśodāpatinandāya vasudevena cārpitau
കംസനും ബാലനാശത്തിനായി പൂതനാദികളെ അയച്ചു; ആ രണ്ടു (ശിശുക്കളും) വസുദേവൻ യശോദയുടെ ഭർത്താവായ നന്ദനോട് ഏൽപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നു.
Lord Agni (narrating the Purana’s account to Vashistha, in the standard Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Narrative teaching on safeguarding the divine child (or dharma) amid persecution; used in Krishna-katha and moral instruction about protective guardianship.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kamsa sends Pūtanā; Vasudeva entrusts the children to Nanda","lookup_keywords":["Putana sent","Kamsa plot","child protection","Vasudeva Nanda","Yashoda"],"quick_summary":"Kamsa escalates by sending Pūtanā and other agents to kill the child, while Vasudeva secures the child’s safety by entrusting him to Nanda of Gokula—setting the stage for Vraja-līlā."}
Alamkara Type: Kathanaka progression with Utkarsa (rising tension)
Weapon Type: Assassination/poisoning motif (Pūtanā as covert killer)
Concept: Dharma is preserved through prudent protection and right alliances; adharma uses deceit, while the righteous employ wise guardianship without cruelty.
Application: In hostile environments, protect the vulnerable through trusted networks and timely relocation; combine faith with practical prudence.
Khanda Section: Avataras & Krishna-Charita (Vaishnava narrative section)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: vatsalya
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kamsa in council dispatches Pūtanā and other emissaries; parallel scene shows Vasudeva entrusting the child to Nanda in a pastoral setting with Yaśodā implied.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split narrative: left Kamsa sending Pūtanā (dark aura), right Vasudeva handing infant to Nanda in Gokula with cows and trees, bold colors and stylized faces","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Kamsa on throne with attendants, Pūtanā receiving command; second panel with Nanda holding infant, gold halos and ornate borders, rich pastoral motifs","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear storytelling in two registers, detailed costumes, gentle Vraja landscape with cows, subdued palace interior for Kamsa scene","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Kamsa and emissaries, then a night-time or pastoral transfer scene with Vasudeva and Nanda, fine architectural and landscape detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kaṃso 'pi = kaṃsaḥ + api; preṣayadbālanāśane = preṣayat + bāla-nāśane; vasudevena cārpitau = vasudevena + ca + arpitau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Krishna’s Vraja episodes (Pūtanā-vadha etc.) in subsequent narrative flow; Agni Purana sections on rakṣā (protective rites) as thematic parallel
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as narrative theology, describing Kamsa’s practical measures (sending Pūtanā and others) and the protective relocation/entrusting of the child to Nanda’s household.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s multi-genre scope: alongside ritual, polity, and śāstra topics, it preserves core Purāṇic avatāra narratives (Krishna-charita) that transmit dharma, bhakti, and sacred history.
The passage highlights the karmic contrast between adharmic aggression (Kamsa’s child-slaying intent) and dharmic protection (Vasudeva’s safeguarding act), reinforcing the Purāṇic theme that divine order ultimately protects the righteous and thwarts destructive intent.