Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 7
Chapter 276 — राजवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Royal Lineages
तत्पुत्रस्तु महाशालस्तत्पुत्रो ऽभुन्महामनाः तस्मादुशीनरो ब्रह्मन्नृगायान्तु नृगस्ततः
tatputrastu mahāśālastatputro 'bhunmahāmanāḥ tasmāduśīnaro brahmannṛgāyāntu nṛgastataḥ
ਉਸ ਦਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਮਹਾਸ਼ਾਲ ਸੀ; ਮਹਾਸ਼ਾਲ ਦਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਮਹਾਨ ਮਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਮਹਾਮਨਾ ਸੀ। ਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ! ਉਸ ਤੋਂ ਉਸ਼ੀਨਰ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੋਇਆ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ਼ੀਨਰ ਤੋਂ ਨ੍ਰਿਗ—ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਵੰਸ਼ ਪਰੰਪਰਾ ਚੱਲੀ।
Lord Agni (narrator, speaking to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Dynastic memory for itihasa-purana study, legitimizing royal succession and regional identity through lineage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Uśīnara–Nṛga lineage sequence","lookup_keywords":["Mahāśāla","Mahāmanā","Uśīnara","Nṛga","vaṃśa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact father-to-son succession: Mahāśāla → Mahāmanā → Uśīnara → Nṛga, useful for reconstructing Purāṇic genealogies."}
Concept: Vaṃśa-smṛti (preservation of lineage) as a Purāṇic duty supporting social order.
Application: Use as a reference chain when correlating kings across Purāṇas and epics; supports śrāddha/ancestral remembrance frameworks.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of royal lineages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A genealogical tableau: a royal family tree with successive kings named Mahāśāla, Mahāmanā, Uśīnara, and Nṛga, shown as enthroned figures connected by lineage bands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vivid colors, four kṣatriya kings in sequence on a horizontal register, palm-leaf genealogy bands, traditional ornaments, muted background with lotus motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central enthroned king with smaller successor portraits in medallions, heavy gold foil halos, rich reds and greens, inscription-like labels for Mahāśāla, Mahāmanā, Uśīnara, Nṛga.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional genealogy chart aesthetic, each king seated with name cartouche, soft pastel palette, minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly portraits of successive rulers in a manuscript margin layout, fine detailing of textiles and turbans, calligraphic labels, subdued landscape wash."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्पुत्रस्-तु → तत् + पुत्रः + तु; महाशालस्-तत्पुत्रः → महाशालः + तत् + पुत्रः; पुत्रोऽभूत् → पुत्रः + अभूत्; तस्मादुशीनरः → तस्मात् + उशीनरः; ब्रह्मन्नृगायान्-तु → ब्रह्मन् + नृगायान् + तु; नृगस्-ततः → नृगः + ततः
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Vamsha-anukramanika sections surrounding 276; Agni Purana: Bhūgola/Janapada-nirūpaṇa passages linked to eponymous kings
FAQs
This verse conveys vamśa-vidyā (dynastic/genealogical knowledge): the sequential succession of kings, used in Purāṇic historiography to anchor dharma narratives to specific lineages.
By preserving royal genealogies, the Agni Purana functions as a historical-index layer alongside its ritual, political, medical, and literary sections—linking teachings to identifiable dynastic contexts.
Remembering and transmitting righteous lineages is treated as a dharmic act in Purāṇic tradition, reinforcing śraddhā (reverence) for ancestral continuity and the moral exemplars associated with these dynasties.