Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 35
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
देवापिर्वाह्लिकश् चैव सोमदत्तस्तु शान्तनोः वाह्लिकात्सोमदत्तो ऽभुद्भूरिर्भूरिस्रवाः शलः
devāpirvāhlikaś caiva somadattastu śāntanoḥ vāhlikātsomadatto 'bhudbhūrirbhūrisravāḥ śalaḥ
ശാന്തനുവിൽ നിന്ന് ദേവാപി, ബാഹ്ലികൻ, സോമദത്തൻ എന്നിവർ ജനിച്ചു. ബാഹ്ലികനിൽ നിന്ന് സോമദത്തൻ; അവനിൽ നിന്ന് ഭൂരി, ഭൂരിശ്രവാ, ശലൻ ജനിച്ചു.
Lord Agni (narrating genealogical tradition to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Identifies Śāntanu’s sons and the Bāhlika branch leading to Somadatta and his sons—key for Mahābhārata character placement (e.g., Bhūriśravā).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śāntanu’s Issue and Bāhlika Line: Devāpi, Bāhlika; Somadatta → Bhūri, Bhūriśravā, Śala","lookup_keywords":["Devāpi","Bāhlika","Somadatta","Bhūriśravā","Śāntanu"],"quick_summary":"Lists Śāntanu’s sons and traces the Bāhlika → Somadatta line, supplying quick reference for epic genealogies and collateral Kuru branches."}
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies and dynastic lists)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A family-branch depiction: Śāntanu with Devāpi and Bāhlika; from Bāhlika a line to Somadatta, and from him three sons—Bhūri, Bhūriśravā, Śala—shown as labeled princes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Śāntanu seated with two sons standing; a branching creeper leads to Somadatta and three sons in lotus frames; traditional bold outlines and decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Śāntanu in a gold-arched frame; Devāpi and Bāhlika as attendant princes; Somadatta and his three sons in smaller gilded panels; heavy ornament and gemstone colors.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, neat genealogical branching with elegant figures; emphasis on Somadatta’s three sons as a triad; soft background and clear inscriptions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Śāntanu and princes; side register showing Somadatta with three sons; fine calligraphy labels, detailed textiles, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देवापिः+वाह्लिकः→देवापिर्वाह्लिकः; वाह्लिकः+च→वाह्लिकश् च; च+एव→चैव; सोमदत्तः+तु→सोमदत्तस्तु; वाह्लिकात्+सोमदत्तः→वाह्लिकात्सोमदत्तः; सोमदत्तः+अभूत्→सोमदत्तोऽभूत्; अभूत्+भूरिः→अभुद्भूरिः (द्वित्व/उद्भव-प्रभावः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 277.34-36 (Śāntanu-related genealogy continuation)
FAQs
This verse imparts vamśa-vidyā—genealogical knowledge—by listing the lineage from Śāntanu through Bāhlika to Somadatta and his descendants.
By preserving dynastic enumerations alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana functions as a reference compendium; genealogies anchor historical-memory (Itihāsa-Purāṇa) and contextualize later narratives and dharma discussions.
Remembering and reciting righteous lineages is traditionally treated as smṛti-puṇya (merit from sacred remembrance), reinforcing continuity of dharma through ancestral exemplars.