Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 24
Somavaṃśa-saṃkṣepaḥ
Conclusion of the Lunar Dynasty Description
सात्त्वताद्भजमानस्तु वृष्णिरन्धक एव च देवावृधश् च चत्वारस्तेषां वंशास्तु विश्रुताः
sāttvatādbhajamānastu vṛṣṇirandhaka eva ca devāvṛdhaś ca catvārasteṣāṃ vaṃśāstu viśrutāḥ
सात्त्वतापासून भजमान झाला; तसेच वृष्णि, अंधक आणि देवावृध—हे चार (वंशप्रवर्तक) झाले. त्यांच्या वंशांची कीर्ती सर्वत्र आहे.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic genealogies to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Provides the four principal Yādava branch-founders used to map clans (Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, Devāvṛdha) central to later Kṛṣṇa-related narratives and regional identities.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Four Branch-Founders from Sāttvata","lookup_keywords":["Sāttvata","Bhajamāna","Vṛṣṇi","Andhaka","Devāvṛdha"],"quick_summary":"Names the four renowned progenitors arising from Sāttvata, establishing the main Yādava sub-lineages."}
Concept: Itihāsa as knowledge-system: classification by lineage (gotra/vaṃśa) is a valid organizing principle of cultural memory.
Application: Use as a mnemonic list for reciters (paurāṇikas) and for identifying characters in later avatāra narratives.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of Yadavas and allied lineages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sāttvata shown as patriarch with four emanating branches labeled Bhajamāna, Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, Devāvṛdha, like a living lineage tree.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Sāttvata central with four attendants/sons branching outward; decorative vine motifs forming a pedigree; bold reds/greens; name labels in cartouches.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold-work pedigree: central enthroned Sāttvata with four smaller crowned figures around; embossed gold borders; rich jewel tones; symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting instructional genealogy chart: clean spacing, soft colors; a sage points to a lineage diagram showing the four founders; emphasis on legibility.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature court scene: a genealogist reads from a scroll listing the four names; Sāttvata portrayed as ancestor in a framed medallion; fine floral margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सात्त्वताद्भजमानस्तु = सात्त्वतात् + भजमानः + तु; वृष्णिरन्धक = वृष्णिः + अन्धकः; चत्वारस्तेषां = चत्वारः + तेषाम्; वंशास्तु = वंशाः + तु.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 274.23-27 (continuation of Yādava genealogical chain)
FAQs
This verse imparts purāṇic genealogical knowledge (vaṃśa-vidyā): it identifies four प्रमुख (foundational) progenitors—Bhajamāna, Vṛṣṇi, Andhaka, and Devāvṛdha—arising from Sāttvata, establishing the recognized branches of the Yādava-related lineages.
By cataloging dynastic origins and clan-branches, the Agni Purana functions as a reference compendium for lineage memory (vaṃśānucarita), helping readers connect later narratives (e.g., Yādava histories and Krishna-related traditions) to named ancestral stems.
Remembering and transmitting vaṃśa (lineage) in Purāṇas supports dharma through continuity of tradition, identity, and rightful succession; it is treated as a form of śravaṇa-smaraṇa (hearing and recollection) that preserves sacred history and reinforces dharmic order.