Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 4
Somavaṃśa-saṃkṣepaḥ
Conclusion of the Lunar Dynasty Description
कनकात् कृतवीर्यस्तु कृताग्निः करवीरकः कृतौजाश् च चतुर्थो ऽभूत् कृतवीर्यात्तु सो ऽर्जुनः
kanakāt kṛtavīryastu kṛtāgniḥ karavīrakaḥ kṛtaujāś ca caturtho 'bhūt kṛtavīryāttu so 'rjunaḥ
କନକଠାରୁ କୃତବୀର୍ୟ ଜନ୍ମିଲେ। ତାଙ୍କ ପୁତ୍ର କୃତାଗ୍ନି, କରବୀରକ ଓ କୃତୌଜା; ଚତୁର୍ଥ ପୁତ୍ର କୃତବୀର୍ୟଠାରୁ ଜନ୍ମିଥିବା ଅର୍ଜୁନ ଥିଲେ।
Lord Agni (narrating the Purana to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Identifying key progenitors and collateral branches to contextualize later exploits (especially Kārtavīrya Arjuna) and dynastic claims.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kanaka’s Line: Kṛtavīrya and his sons (Kṛtāgni, Karavīraka, Kṛtaujā, Arjuna)","lookup_keywords":["Kanaka","Kṛtavīrya","Kṛtāgni","Karavīraka","Arjuna"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates Kṛtavīrya’s offspring, highlighting Arjuna as the notable fourth son. Serves as a genealogical index for the Kārtavīrya narrative."}
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies and Royal Lineages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lineage tableau: Kanaka begets Kṛtavīrya; Kṛtavīrya shown with four sons, Arjuna emphasized as the fourth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized family grouping with hierarchical scale, Arjuna slightly prominent, palm-leaf labels, traditional color blocks and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gilded halos for royal figures, four sons arranged symmetrically, ornate jewelry and crowns, temple-arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean composition like a family tree diagram, fine brushwork, soft shading, readable arrangement of names.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, genealogical portrait set with four princes, delicate facial detail, inscriptions in cartouches, palace garden background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कृतवीर्यः + तु → कृतवीर्यस्तु; चतुर्थः + अभूत् → चतुर्थोऽभूत्; कृतवीर्यात् + तु → कृतवीर्यात्तु; सः + अर्जुनः → सोऽर्जुनः
Related Themes: Agni Purana: adjacent Kārtavīrya Arjuna account (274.5–274.7)
FAQs
This verse transmits vamśa-jñāna (genealogical knowledge): the succession of names in a royal lineage, preserving authoritative Purāṇic memory rather than prescribing a ritual or medical procedure.
By cataloging dynastic descent (who begot whom), it functions like a historical index inside the Agni Purana’s broader compendium—alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and poetics—helping readers situate narratives and dharma traditions within recognized lineages.
Remembering and reciting lineage in Purāṇas is traditionally treated as smṛti-sādhana (cultivation of sacred memory), reinforcing continuity of dharma through ancestral succession and honoring forebears associated with righteous rule.