Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 16
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
अर्जुनः पाण्डवानाञ्च तयोर्युद्धं बभूव ह शस्त्राशस्त्रि महारौद्रं देवासुररणोपमम्
arjunaḥ pāṇḍavānāñca tayoryuddhaṃ babhūva ha śastrāśastri mahāraudraṃ devāsuraraṇopamam
അപ്പോൾ അർജുനനും പാണ്ഡവന്മാരും തമ്മിൽ ആയുധങ്ങളാലും ആയുധമില്ലാതെയും അത്യന്തം ഭീകരമായ യുദ്ധം നടന്നു; അത് ദേവാസുരസമരത്തോട് ഉപമിക്കാം।
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic-Itihāsa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Frames the Mahabharata battle as a paradigmatic ‘devasura-sangrama’ to teach the scale, ferocity, and mixed-mode combat (armed/unarmed) that a kshatriya narrative assumes.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Devasura-sangramopama Yuddha (Arjuna–Pandava encounter)","lookup_keywords":["Arjuna","yuddha","shastra-ashastra","devasura-rana","maharoudra"],"quick_summary":"Describes a battle as extremely fierce, fought both with weapons and bare-handed, likened to the archetypal gods-vs-asuras war—an epic benchmark for intensity and dharma-yuddha atmosphere."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Weapon Type: Mixed (shastra and ashasta)
Concept: War as a dharmic ordeal can be portrayed through cosmic analogies to convey moral gravity and the collapse of ordinary measures.
Application: Use epic exempla to discuss limits of violence, kshatriya duty, and the need for restraint even amid ‘maharoudra’ conditions.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Katha (Mahabharata narrative / Puranic war-episode)
Primary Rasa: Raudra
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A panoramic battlefield where Arjuna clashes amid Pandava forces; weapons fly while some warriors grapple bare-handed; the sky seems charged like a devasura war.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, saturated mineral colors, stylized warriors with expressive eyes; Arjuna centered with bow, surrounding figures in dynamic poses; devasura-war aura in the sky, conch and drum motifs, dense battlefield composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on armor and weapons; Arjuna radiant at center, ornate borders; layered battlefield with shimmering arrows and maces; divine-cosmic glow suggesting devasura comparison.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework and soft shading; instructional clarity showing armed and unarmed combat simultaneously—archery on one side, grappling on the other; labeled-like compositional order without text.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ranks of soldiers, realistic horses and armor; Arjuna identifiable by bow and posture; dramatic dust clouds; subtle celestial beings in margins to imply devasura-war analogy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाण्डवानाञ्च = पाण्डवानाम् + च; तयोर्युद्धम् = तयोः + युद्धम्; शस्त्राशस्त्रि = शस्त्र + अशस्त्रि(न्) (द्वन्द्व); देवासुररणोपमम् = देव + असुर + रण + उपमम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Mahabharata-sangraha sections (Itihasa-khanda); Agni Purana Dhanurveda/astravidya chapters (weapon taxonomy and training)
FAQs
It signals a Dhanurveda-oriented idea of combat classification: śastra (armed fighting) and aśastra (unarmed/without weapons), emphasizing the spectrum of battle methods.
By embedding Itihāsa-style war narration and military terminology (śastra/aśastra) within a Purāṇa, it preserves historical-epic material alongside practical knowledge traditions like martial science.
The deva–asura simile frames the conflict as a cosmic-scale struggle, reminding readers that actions in war carry grave dharmic and karmic weight and should be aligned with righteous duty rather than rage.