Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 7
Chapter 276 — राजवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Royal Lineages
तत्पुत्रस्तु महाशालस्तत्पुत्रो ऽभुन्महामनाः तस्मादुशीनरो ब्रह्मन्नृगायान्तु नृगस्ततः
tatputrastu mahāśālastatputro 'bhunmahāmanāḥ tasmāduśīnaro brahmannṛgāyāntu nṛgastataḥ
त्याचा पुत्र महाशाल झाला; महाशालाचा पुत्र महात्मा महामना होता. हे ब्राह्मणा! त्याच्यापासून उशीनर उत्पन्न झाला आणि उशीनरापासून नृग—अशी वंशपरंपरा पुढे चालली.
Lord Agni (narrator, speaking to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Dynastic memory for itihasa-purana study, legitimizing royal succession and regional identity through lineage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Uśīnara–Nṛga lineage sequence","lookup_keywords":["Mahāśāla","Mahāmanā","Uśīnara","Nṛga","vaṃśa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact father-to-son succession: Mahāśāla → Mahāmanā → Uśīnara → Nṛga, useful for reconstructing Purāṇic genealogies."}
Concept: Vaṃśa-smṛti (preservation of lineage) as a Purāṇic duty supporting social order.
Application: Use as a reference chain when correlating kings across Purāṇas and epics; supports śrāddha/ancestral remembrance frameworks.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of royal lineages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A genealogical tableau: a royal family tree with successive kings named Mahāśāla, Mahāmanā, Uśīnara, and Nṛga, shown as enthroned figures connected by lineage bands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vivid colors, four kṣatriya kings in sequence on a horizontal register, palm-leaf genealogy bands, traditional ornaments, muted background with lotus motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central enthroned king with smaller successor portraits in medallions, heavy gold foil halos, rich reds and greens, inscription-like labels for Mahāśāla, Mahāmanā, Uśīnara, Nṛga.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional genealogy chart aesthetic, each king seated with name cartouche, soft pastel palette, minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly portraits of successive rulers in a manuscript margin layout, fine detailing of textiles and turbans, calligraphic labels, subdued landscape wash."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्पुत्रस्-तु → तत् + पुत्रः + तु; महाशालस्-तत्पुत्रः → महाशालः + तत् + पुत्रः; पुत्रोऽभूत् → पुत्रः + अभूत्; तस्मादुशीनरः → तस्मात् + उशीनरः; ब्रह्मन्नृगायान्-तु → ब्रह्मन् + नृगायान् + तु; नृगस्-ततः → नृगः + ततः
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Vamsha-anukramanika sections surrounding 276; Agni Purana: Bhūgola/Janapada-nirūpaṇa passages linked to eponymous kings
FAQs
This verse conveys vamśa-vidyā (dynastic/genealogical knowledge): the sequential succession of kings, used in Purāṇic historiography to anchor dharma narratives to specific lineages.
By preserving royal genealogies, the Agni Purana functions as a historical-index layer alongside its ritual, political, medical, and literary sections—linking teachings to identifiable dynastic contexts.
Remembering and transmitting righteous lineages is treated as a dharmic act in Purāṇic tradition, reinforcing śraddhā (reverence) for ancestral continuity and the moral exemplars associated with these dynasties.