Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 4
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
अनावृष्टिरतीवोग्रा जायते शतवार्षिकी ततः सत्त्वक्षयः स्याच्च ततो विष्णुर्जगत्पतिः
anāvṛṣṭiratīvogrā jāyate śatavārṣikī tataḥ sattvakṣayaḥ syācca tato viṣṇurjagatpatiḥ
അത്യന്തം ഭീകരമായ അനാവൃഷ്ടി നൂറു വർഷം ഉണ്ടാകുന്നു. അതിനാൽ ജീവികളുടെ സത്ത്വശക്തി ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു; തുടർന്ന് ജഗത്പതി വിഷ്ണു (അടുത്ത ക്രമം) പ്രവർത്തിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Recognize pralaya-portents (drought, decline of vitality) and their ethical/spiritual implication—turning toward dharma and Vishnu as cosmic regulator.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pralaya-portents: Hundred-year Drought and Sattva-kṣaya","lookup_keywords":["anāvṛṣṭi","śata-varṣa","sattva-kṣaya","kali-anta","viṣṇu jagatpati"],"quick_summary":"A prolonged drought for a hundred years causes depletion of living vitality; this signals the turning of the cosmic cycle under Viṣṇu’s lordship."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Worldly supports (rain, vitality) are contingent; divine order governs cycles beyond human control.
Application: In crisis, intensify dharmic conduct, charity, and devotion; cultivate equanimity toward inevitable large-scale change.
Khanda Section: Eschatology (Pralaya-lakshana / Kali-yuga-anta-dharma)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Cosmic-Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A parched world under a relentless sky: cracked earth, withered crops, weakened beings; above, Viṣṇu appears as the cosmic lord preparing the next turn of time.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic drought scene with cracked ground, dry riverbeds, gaunt cattle and people; sky painted in heavy ochres; upper corner shows Viṣṇu with blue body and golden ornaments, calm and sovereign, indicating cosmic governance; bold outlines and stylized flora.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Viṣṇu as Jagatpati with gold halo; lower panel shows drought—withered fields, empty clouds—rendered in rich colors; heavy gold embossing on Viṣṇu’s ornaments and frame to contrast the barren earth.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, narrative clarity: foreground drought and weakened beings; background a subtle divine apparition of Viṣṇu; fine linework, gentle shading, emphasis on moral-cosmic lesson rather than spectacle.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape of famine: cracked soil, sparse trees, villagers carrying empty pots; in the sky a luminous Viṣṇu vision in a cloud medallion; delicate brushwork and restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: anāvṛṣṭiratīvogrā→an-āvṛṣṭiḥ atīva-ugrā; syācca→syāt ca; viṣṇurjagatpatiḥ→viṣṇuḥ jagat-patiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367.5 (sun’s rays drinking waters as mechanism behind drought); Agni Purana: Vishnu-centric stotras and dharma sections that frame Viṣṇu as protector/regulator
FAQs
It imparts pralaya-lakṣaṇa (eschatological diagnostics): a prolonged, extreme drought is given as a key sign indicating systemic depletion of life-sustaining vitality before the next cosmic transition under Viṣṇu.
Alongside ritual and practical disciplines, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves cosmology and end-of-age markers; this verse functions like a concise ‘cosmic climatology’ and theological frame linking environmental collapse to yuga-ending doctrine.
It frames catastrophic drought and resulting decline as part of a larger moral-cosmic cycle, encouraging detachment and dharma-oriented living by reminding that worldly stability is contingent and ultimately governed by the Lord (Viṣṇu).