Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 2
Chapter 7 — रामायणवर्णनं (Description of the Rāmāyaṇa): Śūrpaṇakhā, Khara’s Defeat, and Sītā-haraṇa Prelude
यतो बली इति ख, ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः गतो बली इति ख, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः नाहं राज्यं प्रयास्यामि इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः राज्यं नाहं प्रयास्यामि इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अगस्त्यभ्रातरं नत्वा अगस्त्यन्तत्प्रसादतः धनुःखड्गञ्च सम्प्राप्य दण्डकारण्यमागतः
yato balī iti kha, ga, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ gato balī iti kha, ṅa, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ nāhaṃ rājyaṃ prayāsyāmi iti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ rājyaṃ nāhaṃ prayāsyāmi iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ agastyabhrātaraṃ natvā agastyantatprasādataḥ dhanuḥkhaḍgañca samprāpya daṇḍakāraṇyamāgataḥ
ਅਗਸਤ੍ਯ ਦੇ ਭਰਾ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਣਾਮ ਕਰਕੇ, ਅਤੇ ਅਗਸਤ੍ਯ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ ਧਨੁਸ਼ ਅਤੇ ਖੜਗ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਕੇ, ਉਹ ਦੰਡਕਾਰਣ੍ਯ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਾਖ਼ਲ ਹੋਇਆ। (ਪਿਛਲੇ ਭਾਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਸਤਲਿਖਤ ਪਾਠ-ਭੇਦ ਦਰਸਾਏ ਗਏ ਹਨ।)
Lord Agni (narrating puranic summary to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Highlights acquisition of weapons through guru/ṛṣi favor and the transition into forest operations—useful as a narrative cue for legitimate arming, training, and mission entry.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Receiving bow and sword by Agastya’s favor; entry into Daṇḍakāraṇya (with variant readings)","lookup_keywords":["Agastya","bow (dhanuḥ)","sword (khaḍga)","Daṇḍakāraṇya","pāṭhabheda"],"quick_summary":"Rāma, after paying respects, receives martial equipment through Agastya’s grace and proceeds into Daṇḍaka forest. The verse also preserves manuscript variants, reflecting the Purāṇa’s transmission history."}
Alamkara Type: Pāṭhabheda-nirdeśa (text-critical note embedded in narrative)
Weapon Type: Bow and Sword
Concept: Power (weapons/authority) is to be obtained through rightful channels—blessing, discipline, and purpose—before entering dangerous duty.
Application: In governance or personal life, acquire tools/authority through legitimate mentorship and ethical sanction, then proceed to challenging tasks with restraint.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Ramayana-Sangraha (Narrative Section: Rama’s forest-journey episode)
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Forest/Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rāma bows to Agastya’s brother; Agastya bestows or enables the obtaining of a bow and sword; Rāma then steps into the dense Daṇḍaka forest, armed and composed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Agastya as radiant sage with matted locks, Rāma receiving dhanuḥ and khaḍga, forest rendered with stylized trees and deep greens, vīra mood with devotional undertone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-leaf highlights on weapons and halos, Agastya seated with kamandalu, Rāma accepting bow and sword, ornate frame, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear depiction of weapon forms (bow curvature, sword hilt), Agastya’s āśrama setting, instructional emphasis on the transfer of arms and departure path into forest.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed hermitage with utensils and manuscripts, Agastya’s attendant/brother present, Rāma receiving arms, atmospheric perspective as he enters thick woodland."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Verse contains extensive manuscript-variant prose notes; analyzed only the metrical sentence: agastyabhrātaraṃ natvā … daṇḍakāraṇyam āgataḥ. dhanuḥkhaḍgañca → dhanuḥ-khaḍgam + ca; daṇḍakāraṇyam → daṇḍaka-araṇyam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dhanurveda-related adhyāyas (weapon taxonomy and training sections); Agni Purana Ramayana-khanda: forest-episode summaries around Daṇḍaka
FAQs
It primarily conveys narrative knowledge: acquisition of weapons (dhanuḥ, khaḍga) by Agastya’s grace before entering Daṇḍakāraṇya, along with explicit documentation of manuscript variant readings.
It shows the text’s compendious method: summarizing Itihāsa material (Ramayana-linked episodes) while also preserving philological data (variant pāṭhas), reflecting both narrative encyclopedism and archival transmission.
The act of bowing to a revered sage’s kin and receiving weapons “by grace” highlights humility and guru/ṛṣi-anugraha as a source of success, framing righteous action as grounded in reverence and divine-saintly favor.