Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 23
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
कृपः कृपी किवोदासान्मैत्रेयः सोमपस्ततः सृञ्जयात् पञ्चधनुषः सोमदत्तश् च तत्सुतः
kṛpaḥ kṛpī kivodāsānmaitreyaḥ somapastataḥ sṛñjayāt pañcadhanuṣaḥ somadattaś ca tatsutaḥ
ကိဝောဒာသ (Kivodāsa) မှ ကೃပ (Kṛpa) နှင့် ကೃပီ (Kṛpī) ပေါ်ထွန်းလာသည်။ ထို့မှ မૈတြေယ (Maitreya)၊ ထို့နောက် သောမပ (Somapa) ဖြစ်လာသည်။ စೃဉ္ဇယ (Sṛñjaya) မှ ပဉ္စဓနုသ (Pañcadhanuṣa) ပေါ်ထွန်း၍ သောမဒတ္တ (Somadatta) သည် သူ၏သားဖြစ်သည်။
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Genealogical anchoring of famed martial-ascetic figures (Kṛpa/Kṛpī) and royal descendants; supports Itihāsa linkage (Mahābhārata-associated names) and kṣatriya line memory.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kivodāsa to Kṛpa–Kṛpī; Maitreya–Somapa; Sṛñjaya to Pañcadhanuṣa and Somadatta","lookup_keywords":["Kṛpa","Kṛpī","Maitreya","Sṛñjaya","Pañcadhanuṣa"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates successive births: Kivodāsa → Kṛpa/Kṛpī → Maitreya → Somapa; and Sṛñjaya → Pañcadhanuṣa → Somadatta. Functions as a compact dynastic index, with martial resonance in the epithet Pañcadhanuṣa (‘five-bowed’)."}
Weapon Type: Bow (dhanus)
Concept: Transmission of roles (ṛṣi/kṣatriya) through lineage; Purāṇic historiography as dharma-preserving memory.
Application: Used to reconcile Mahābhārata-associated figures (Kṛpa/Kṛpī) with Purāṇic dynastic lists for teaching and recitation.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies and royal lineages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split genealogical panel: on one side Kivodāsa with twins/siblings Kṛpa and Kṛpī; on the other Sṛñjaya presenting a bow to Pañcadhanuṣa, with Somadatta as heir. A lineage tree or scroll ties the names.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, bold outlines, Kṛpa and Kṛpī as youthful sage-warriors, Sṛñjaya in royal attire, Pañcadhanuṣa holding multiple bows symbolically, palm-leaf scroll motif, earthy reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf on royal ornaments and bow, Sṛñjaya enthroned, Pañcadhanuṣa with five stylized bows arranged like a fan, Somadatta as prince, decorative arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional clarity: labeled figures, elegant bow depiction, genealogical arrows connecting names, subdued colors and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Sṛñjaya gifting a bow, delicate rendering of weapons, Kṛpa/Kṛpī in a separate vignette with ascetic cues, calligraphic name panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: किवोदासान्मैत्रेयः = किवोदासात् मैत्रेयः; सोमदत्तश् = सोमदत्तः; तत्सुतः = तत्-सुतः
Related Themes: Agni Purana: continuation to Somadatta → Sahadeva (next verse); Agni Purana: other vaṃśa catalogues listing Sṛñjaya-related lines
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as a genealogical record, preserving the succession of named figures within a dynastic lineage.
By cataloging dynastic descent (vaṁśa), it adds an Itihāsa-Purāṇa layer—historical memory, royal succession, and identity of lineages—alongside the Agni Purana’s ritual, polity, and śāstra materials.
The implied merit lies in śravaṇa/paṭhana of vaṁśa-kathā: remembering and transmitting righteous lineages is treated in Purāṇic tradition as a purifying act that supports dharma and continuity of sacred history.