Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 13
पाण्डवचरितवर्णनम्
The Account of the Pāṇḍavas
महापथे तु पतिता द्रौपदी सहदेवकः नकुलः फाल्गुनो भीमो राजा शोकपरायणः
mahāpathe tu patitā draupadī sahadevakaḥ nakulaḥ phālguno bhīmo rājā śokaparāyaṇaḥ
महामार्गावर द्रौपदी पडली; मग सहदेव, नकुल, फाल्गुन (अर्जुन) आणि भीमही पडले. राजा युधिष्ठिर शोकात पूर्णपणे निमग्न झाला.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic-itihasa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Contemplate the Mahaprasthana teaching: even the dearest companions fall away; cultivate steadiness and non-attachment while continuing dharmic resolve.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Falls on the Mahapatha; the king’s grief","lookup_keywords":["Mahapatha patana","Draupadi fall","Pandava fall sequence","Yudhishthira shoka"],"quick_summary":"The verse narrates successive falls on the great path and records the king’s grief, highlighting the stark pedagogy of impermanence and the cost of attachment."}
Alamkara Type: Anukrama (sequential narration)
Concept: Samsara’s anityata is proven experientially: companions, strength, and identity dissolve; grief arises from attachment, while liberation requires steadiness.
Application: Use loss as a contemplative teacher; practice equanimity and remembrance (smriti) when relationships and capacities change.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Puranic Narrative (Mahabharata / Svargarohana episode)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Sacred route
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stark mountain-road where Draupadi and the Pandavas fall one by one; Yudhishthira stands forward, torn by grief yet compelled onward.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic diagonal ‘great path’; figures collapsing with stylized gestures; Yudhishthira upright with sorrowful eyes; muted earth tones, strong outlines, symbolic clouds.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, poignant composition: fallen figures in foreground, Yudhishthira centered with restrained gold accents; emphasis on solemnity over ornament; textured gold background subdued.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear sequential arrangement of the fallen (Draupadi, Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna, Bhima) along the path; Yudhishthira’s grief shown through posture; soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, expansive landscape with rocky path; detailed expressions of fatigue and collapse; Yudhishthira in front with a sorrowful profile; naturalistic terrain and delicate color gradations."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महापथ + ए (सप्तमी) → महापथे; शोक + परायणः → शोकपरायणः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Itihasa synopsis of Svargarohana/Mahaprasthana; Agni Purana moksha-oriented teachings on anityata and vairagya
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; it is an itihāsa-style narrative marker describing the sequential falling of Draupadī and the Pandavas on the Mahāpātha.
It demonstrates the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic scope by integrating Mahābhārata-derived dharma narratives alongside its ritual, polity, medicine, and śāstra sections—using famous episodes to teach ethical reflection through story.
The verse underscores the karmic and dharmic theme of the ‘great departure’: even exalted figures fall due to residual human limitations, while the king’s grief highlights the spiritual challenge of non-attachment on the path toward liberation.