Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 25
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
पितॄणां च यमो राजा भूतादीनां हरः प्रभुः हिमवांश् चैव शैलानां नदीनां सागरः प्रभुः
pitṝṇāṃ ca yamo rājā bhūtādīnāṃ haraḥ prabhuḥ himavāṃś caiva śailānāṃ nadīnāṃ sāgaraḥ prabhuḥ
Yama é o rei dos Pitṛs (manes ancestrais); Hara (Śiva) é o soberano supremo dos seres e afins. Himavān é, de fato, o principal entre as montanhas; e o Oceano é o senhor dos rios.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guiding śrāddha/ancestral rites (Yama), bhūta-śānti and Rudra worship (Hara), and sacred geography reverence (Himavān, Ocean) in ritual and cultural practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Regents: Yama of Pitṛs, Hara of Bhūtas, Himavān of Mountains, Ocean of Rivers","lookup_keywords":["Yama","Pitṛ","Hara","Himavān","Sāgara"],"quick_summary":"The verse assigns sovereignty to key domains—ancestors, beings, mountains, and rivers—providing a ritual and cosmological map for offerings, pacification, and reverence toward nature and the dead."}
Concept: Cosmic governance extends to death/ancestry (Yama), unseen beings (Rudra’s sphere), and natural orders (mountains and waters), encouraging reverence and ritual responsibility.
Application: Perform śrāddha with Yama/Pitṛ orientation; undertake bhūta-śānti and Rudra-japa when disturbances are attributed to bhūtas; treat mountains and rivers as sacred jurisdictions deserving restraint and worship.
Khanda Section: Stotra / Devata-tattva (Cosmic Lordships and Divine Sovereignties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Mountain/River-Ocean system
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A four-domain panorama: Yama presiding over pitṛs in a solemn ancestral court; Śiva as Hara surrounded by bhūtas; Himavān as a snow-crowned mountain-king; Ocean as a vast sovereign receiving rivers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic yet devotional: Yama with daṇḍa and buffalo in a subdued palette; Śiva with bhūta-gaṇas in energetic poses; Himavān personified with snowy headdress and mountain backdrop; Ocean as blue-green deity with wave patterns and makara, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold, four medallions: Yama with gold halo and dark mount; Śiva with triśūla and crescent moon, bhūtas as small attendants; Himavān glittering with white-gold snow motifs; Ocean with gold-embossed waves and river-goddesses flowing into him","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, balanced instructional composition: each regent labeled, calm facial expressions, fine linework for matted locks and wave textures, gentle gradients for snow and sea, minimal background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, landscape-rich: a Himalayan vista with anthropomorphic Himavān; rivers winding into a detailed seashore court of Ocean; a nocturnal cremation-ground edge where Śiva with bhūtas appears; a solemn ancestral assembly for Yama, intricate naturalism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भूतादीनाम् = bhūta + ādīnām; हिमवांश् चैव = himavān + ca + eva.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Śrāddha and pitṛ-kalpa related passages (elsewhere in dharma sections); Agni Purana: Rudra/Śiva stotra and bhūta-śānti materials (elsewhere in stotra/tantra-leaning sections); Agni Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya style references to rivers/ocean (where present)
FAQs
It imparts devatā-adhikāra (domain-lordship knowledge): which deity or cosmic principle presides over ancestors, beings, mountains, and rivers—useful for correctly addressing invocations (āhvāna) and offerings in ancestor-rites and deity-centered worship.
By cataloging authoritative correspondences (who rules what) across theology and sacred geography—Yama/Pitṛs, Śiva/beings, Himavān/mountains, Ocean/rivers—this verse exemplifies the Purāṇa’s compendium style, organizing the world into domains with their presiding powers.
Recognizing proper cosmic presiders supports correct reverence and right intention in worship; honoring Yama in relation to the Pitṛs aligns ancestral rites with dharma, while acknowledging Śiva’s sovereignty reinforces humility before the lordship governing all embodied beings.