Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 31
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
देवगन्धर्वयक्षाणां ता उवाच जनार्दनः षोदशस्त्रीसहस्राणि रुक्मिण्याद्यास् तथाष्ट च
devagandharvayakṣāṇāṃ tā uvāca janārdanaḥ ṣodaśastrīsahasrāṇi rukmiṇyādyās tathāṣṭa ca
ਦੇਵਾਂ, ਗੰਧਰਵਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਯਕਸ਼ਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਇਸਤਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਾਰਦਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—“ਰੁਕਮਿਣੀ ਆਦਿ ਸੋਲ੍ਹਾਂ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਇਸਤਰੀਆਂ ਹਨ, ਅਤੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਅੱਠ ਮੁੱਖ ਮਹਿਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਵੀ ਹਨ।”
Janārdana (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) — as referenced in the verse (reported speech within the narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Clarifies the social-ritual resolution of the rescued women’s status and the enumeration of Kṛṣṇa’s queens, used in narrative genealogy and dharmic legitimization.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Krishna’s queens: 16,000 and the eight principal consorts","lookup_keywords":["ṣoḍaśa-sahasra","aṣṭa-mahiṣī","Rukmiṇī","Janārdana","strī-saṅkhyā"],"quick_summary":"The verse records the traditional count of Kṛṣṇa’s consorts—16,000 rescued women and eight principal queens beginning with Rukmiṇī—framing their acceptance within dharma."}
Alamkara Type: Sankhya (enumerative listing)
Concept: Restoration of honor through rightful acceptance; dharmic speech (vacana) as social repair after violence.
Application: Community leadership: use clear public declaration to remove stigma and re-establish rightful status.
Khanda Section: Avataras & Krishna-Charita (Vaishnava Itihasa-Purana Narrative)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) addressing an assembly of rescued women; behind him the eight principal queens led by Rukmiṇī; the multitude indicated by grouped figures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: court assembly with Kṛṣṇa gesturing in assurance, Rukmiṇī and other queens in ornate attire, rows of women with stylized eyes, rhythmic composition, warm palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Kṛṣṇa with gold halo, Rukmiṇī prominent at side, eight queens as a symmetrical set, background filled with patterned motifs suggesting the 16,000.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined court scene, delicate jewelry, soft colors; visual emphasis on the ‘eight queens’ as labeled figures, with the larger group rendered as a respectful crowd.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: durbar-like setting, Kṛṣṇa speaking, queens seated behind a screen, attendants; careful portraiture and architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: devagandharvayakṣāṇām treated as dvandva compound; rukmiṇyādyās = rukmiṇī-ādyāḥ (ī + ā → yā). tathāṣṭa = tathā aṣṭa (ā + a → ā).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 12 (Naraka-vadha aftermath)
FAQs
This verse is primarily narrative (Itihasa-Purana) rather than a ritual manual; it conveys the traditional enumeration of Kṛṣṇa’s wives/queens (16,000 plus eight principal queens), used in Purāṇic genealogical and avatāra narration.
By preserving standardized Purāṇic data—names, counts, and classifications of divine figures and royal households—this verse exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style, where mythic history and avatāra narratives sit alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts.
Remembering and reciting Kṛṣṇa’s līlā-related details (such as his queens, beginning with Rukmiṇī) functions in Purāṇic tradition as bhakti-oriented smaraṇa (devotional recollection), reinforcing devotion to Janārdana and faith in avatāra narratives.