Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 35
Svāyambhuva-vaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu
आपो ध्रुवञ्च सोमञ्च धरश् चैवानिलोनलः प्रत्यूषश् च प्रभावश् च वसवोष्टौ च नामतः
āpo dhruvañca somañca dharaś caivānilonalaḥ pratyūṣaś ca prabhāvaś ca vasavoṣṭau ca nāmataḥ
Āpa, Dhruva, Soma, Dhara၊ ထို့အပြင် Anila နှင့် Anala၊ ထို့နောက် Pratyūṣa နှင့် Prabhāva—ဤတို့သည် နာမအားဖြင့် Vasus ရှစ်ပါး ဖြစ်ကြသည်။
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Provides the canonical list of the eight Vasus, useful for devatā-invocation, naming in saṅkalpa, and iconographic identification when Vasus appear in narrative/ritual contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aṣṭa-Vasu nāma-nirdeśa (Eight Vasus by name)","lookup_keywords":["Aṣṭa Vasu","Āpa","Dhruva","Soma","Anila Anala","Pratyūṣa Prabhāva"],"quick_summary":"Names the eight Vasus: Āpa, Dhruva, Soma, Dhara, Anila, Anala, Pratyūṣa, Prabhāva. Serves as a ready reference for ritual lists and Purāṇic cosmological taxonomy."}
Concept: Elemental governance: Vasus represent stabilizing cosmic principles (water, axis, moon, support, wind, fire, dawn, radiance) expressed as named intelligences.
Application: Use the list as a mnemonic for elemental contemplation in worship and for correct group-invocation in homa/saṅkalpa.
Khanda Section: Cosmology & Deity-Classifications (Devata-gana / Vasu-nama-nirdesha)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Eight Vasus standing in a row or circle, each holding an emblem of their cosmic function—water pot, pole-star staff, moon/nectar, earth-support, wind-banner, flame, dawn-lotus, radiant disc—presented like a labeled pantheon chart.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, eight haloed Vasus in symmetrical formation, each with clear emblem (water pot, star-staff, moon bowl, earth symbol, wind flag, fire, dawn glow, radiance), bold outlines, traditional color blocks","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, aṣṭa-vasu group portrait with gold halos and embossed ornaments, each Vasu with distinct attribute, ornate arch-like border, rich reds and greens with gold foil highlights","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic lineup of eight deities with neat labels and attributes, soft shading, fine linework, manuscript-illustration clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, eight celestial nobles in a garden pavilion, each carrying a symbolic object (water vessel, flame, banner), delicate detailing, caption cartouches naming each Vasu"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ध्रुवञ्च = ध्रुवम् + च; सोमञ्च = सोमम् + च; चैव = च + एव; अनिलोनलः = अनिल + अनलः (द्वन्द्व); वसवोष्टौ = वसवः + अष्टौ; नामतः = नामन् + तसिल्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: deva-gaṇa lists (Vasus/Rudras/Adityas) in cosmology sections beyond ch.18
FAQs
It imparts devatā-saṃjñā-jñāna: the precise canonical naming of the eight Vasus, useful for mantra-association, homa/pujā invocations, and correct identification of deity-groups in ritual and cosmological contexts.
By functioning as a structured catalogue of a deity-class (the Vasus), it exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s reference-style organization—preserving standardized lists needed across ritual manuals, cosmology, and Purāṇic genealogy.
Accurate remembrance and invocation of devatā-gaṇas is traditionally held to support purity of worship (yathā-vidhi), reduce ritual error (doṣa), and align the practitioner with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) through correct divine identification.