Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 7
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
दहन्त्य् अशेषं त्रैलोक्यं सपातालतलं द्विज कूर्मपृष्ठसमा भूः स्यात्ततः कालाग्निरुद्रकः
dahanty aśeṣaṃ trailokyaṃ sapātālatalaṃ dvija kūrmapṛṣṭhasamā bhūḥ syāttataḥ kālāgnirudrakaḥ
ਹੇ ਦ੍ਵਿਜ! ਉਹ ਪਾਤਾਲ-ਤਲ ਸਮੇਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਤ੍ਰੈਲੋਕ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਃਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਸਾੜ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਤਦ ਧਰਤੀ ਕੱਛੂਏ ਦੀ ਪਿੱਠ ਵਾਂਗ ਸਮਤਲ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ; ਫਿਰ ਕਾਲਾਗਨੀ-ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (narrating the Purāṇic teaching)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Eschatological visualization of pralaya: total world-conflagration, leveling of earth, and emergence of Kālāgni-Rudra—used in teaching impermanence and cosmic cycles.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kālāgni-Rudra and the burning of the three worlds","lookup_keywords":["pralaya","kālāgni-rudra","trailokya-dahana","pātāla","kūrma-pṛṣṭha"],"quick_summary":"At dissolution, the cosmic fire consumes the three worlds including the nether regions; the earth becomes flat like a tortoise’s back, and the Kālāgni-Rudra principle manifests as the agent of destruction."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: Kāla (time) as the ultimate dissolver; worlds are contingent and cyclically reabsorbed.
Application: Cultivate vairāgya (dispassion) and dharma-oriented living by reflecting on the inevitability of dissolution.
Khanda Section: Pralaya (Cosmic Dissolution) and Eschatology
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast cosmic firestorm engulfing the three worlds; the earth rendered as a flattened oval like a tortoise shell; Kālāgni-Rudra arising amid flames.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, fierce Kālāgni-Rudra with flaming prabhā, swirling red-black fire consuming layered lokas, stylized pātāla bands below, earth shown as kūrma-back silhouette, dramatic sacred composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Kālāgni-Rudra with gold-embossed flames, heavy ornaments, fiery halo, miniature bands showing pātāla and bhū-loka burning, earth as tortoise-back motif, devotional yet awe-inspiring","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional cosmology panel: three-tier loka diagram with flames, labeled regions, Rudra figure at center-right emitting time-fire, refined lines and muted palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic inferno over a stratified universe, detailed smoke and flame, Rudra as a fierce ascetic deity in the center, earth depicted as smooth tortoise-back plane, fine gilding for fire"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dahanty aśeṣam → dahanti aśeṣam; syāttataḥ → syāt tataḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Pralaya-nirūpaṇa passages on Kālāgni, Rudra, and loka-dahana; Agni Purana cosmography sections describing pātālas and bhu-loka form
FAQs
It conveys cosmological doctrine (pralaya-vidyā): the time-fire consumes the three worlds including Pātāla, culminating in the manifestation of Kālāgni-Rudra as the dissolving force.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana catalogs cosmology and eschatology, detailing the mechanics and imagery of dissolution (worlds, nether regions, and Rudra as time-fire).
It instills vairāgya (detachment) by emphasizing impermanence: even the entire cosmos is consumed in time, directing the listener toward dharma and liberation-oriented priorities.