Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 14
Varāhādy-avatāra-varṇana
Description of Varāha and Other Incarnations
दत्तात्रेयप्रसादेन कार्त्तवीर्यो नृपस्त्वभृत् सहस्रबाहुः सर्वोर्वी- पतिः स मृगयां गतः
dattātreyaprasādena kārttavīryo nṛpastvabhṛt sahasrabāhuḥ sarvorvī- patiḥ sa mṛgayāṃ gataḥ
ദത്താത്രേയന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ കാർത്തവീര്യ രാജാവ് (സഹസ്രബാഹു) സർവ്വ ഭൂമിയുടെയും അധിപതിയായി ഉയർന്നു; അദ്ദേഹം മൃഗയയ്ക്ക് പുറപ്പെട്ടു।
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic history to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Frames kingship as contingent on guru/ṛṣi-anugraha; cautions that royal power should be exercised within dharma even in leisure acts like hunting.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kārttavīrya Arjuna (Sahasrabāhu) empowered by Dattātreya; royal hunt","lookup_keywords":["Kārttavīrya","Sahasrabāhu","Dattātreya-prasāda","mṛgayā","cakravartin"],"quick_summary":"Kārttavīrya’s universal sovereignty is presented as arising from Dattātreya’s grace; the narrative turns on how such power is later tested through conduct."}
Alamkara Type: Upākhyāna (itihāsa-narrative) with epithet-based characterization
Weapon Type: Bow (implied in mṛgayā)
Concept: Aiśvarya (power) is derivative of anugraha and must remain dharma-bound.
Application: Leaders should treat success as entrusted power; cultivate restraint and reverence toward sages and sacred spaces.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Purana: Royal Genealogies and Legends (Rajavamsa-Charita)
Primary Rasa: Vīra
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: Forest (implied by hunting context)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A many-armed sovereign king, empowered by Dattātreya’s grace, rides out with retinue into a forest for a hunt.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Dattātreya blessing Kārttavīrya Sahasrabāhu; the king with multiple arms holding royal weapons, attendants and hunters entering dense green forest, bold outlines, flat luminous colors, temple-mural composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central Sahasrabāhu king with ornate crown and jewelry, multiple arms with weapons; small vignette of Dattātreya above granting boon; gold leaf highlights on regalia, stylized forest border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: narrative panel—king mounting horse/elephant with hunting party; subtle shading, delicate linework; Dattātreya shown in a corner as boon-giver; emphasis on courtly detail.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: royal hunt procession with detailed flora/fauna; Sahasrabāhu depicted symbolically with extra arms; courtly realism, fine brushwork, layered landscape depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नृपस्त्वभृत् = नृपः + तु + अभृत्; सर्वोर्वीपतिः = सर्व + उर्वी + पतिः (सन्धि: अ+उ→ओ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 4.15-4.18 (Jamadagni–Kāmadhenu–Paraśurāma sequence); Agni Purana sections on avatāra-kathā of Paraśurāma (elsewhere in Purāṇa)
FAQs
This verse conveys Purāṇic rajavamsa-knowledge: the legitimization of kingship through a guru/deity’s grace (Dattātreya-prasāda) and the royal practice of mṛgayā (the king’s hunt) as a recognized activity of the ruler.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s historical-encyclopedic layer—cataloging dynasties, epithets, and royal conduct—alongside its other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, and arts), thereby functioning as a compendium of cultural memory and governance ideals.
The verse highlights that worldly authority and extraordinary prowess (Sahasrabāhu) are portrayed as arising from divine/saintly favor (prasāda), implying that merit, devotion, and right relationship to revered teachers/deities underpin legitimate power and its exercise.