Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 19 — कश्यपवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Kaśyapa’s Lineage
स्वसायां यक्षरक्षांसि मुनेरश्वरसोभवन् अरिष्टायान्तु गन्धर्वाः कश्यपाद्धि स्थिरञ्चरं
svasāyāṃ yakṣarakṣāṃsi muneraśvarasobhavan ariṣṭāyāntu gandharvāḥ kaśyapāddhi sthirañcaraṃ
От Свасы (Svāsā) родились якши и ракшасы; от Ашварасы (Aśvarasā) мудреца возникли иные существа. От Аришты (Ariṣṭā) родились гандхарвы. Воистину, от Кашьяпы (Kaśyapa) произошло всё — неподвижное и движущееся.
Lord Agni (narrating purāṇic genealogy to the inquirer, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Genealogical mapping of beings (yakṣa, rākṣasa, gandharva, sthāvara-jaṅgama) for Purāṇic cosmography and ritual/storytelling contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Prajā-sṛṣṭi: Lineages from Svāsā, Ariṣṭā, and Kaśyapa","lookup_keywords":["svasa","yaksha","rakshasa","arishta","kashyapa"],"quick_summary":"Identifies progenitors for key classes of beings and states Kaśyapa as the universal source of stationary and moving creation in this genealogical frame."}
Concept: Prajā-sṛṣṭi through named progenitors; unity of creation under Kaśyapa as a generative principle.
Application: Framework for interpreting mythic ethnography (gandharvas/yakṣas/rākṣasas) and integrating them into a single cosmological genealogy.
Khanda Section: Sarga / Prajā-sṛṣṭi (Cosmogony and Genealogies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A genealogical scene: Svāsā giving rise to Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; Ariṣṭā giving rise to Gandharvas with instruments; Kaśyapa as a sage at the center from whom emerge both plants (stationary) and animals/humans (moving).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Kaśyapa rishi seated with jata and kamandalu, emanating streams forming yakṣas (semi-divine guardians), rākṣasas (fierce forms), gandharvas with veena; stylized trees and animals for sthāvara-jaṅgama; temple border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Kaśyapa with gold halo, embossed ornaments on gandharvas, yakṣas as regal guardians, rākṣasas subdued at edges; gold-leaf accents and symmetrical genealogy layout.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined lines and gentle colors; diagrammatic genealogy: Svāsā on one side birthing yakṣa/rākṣasa groups, Ariṣṭā birthing gandharvas with instruments, Kaśyapa central with vines and animals radiating outward.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly gandharvas with instruments, detailed sage portrait of Kaśyapa, yakṣas as forest guardians, rākṣasas in shadowed grove; balanced composition with flora/fauna indicating stationary and moving beings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मुनेरश्वरसोभवन् = मुनेः अश्व-रसः अभवन्; कश्यपाद्धि = कश्यपात् हि; स्थिरञ्चरम् = स्थिर-चरम्. (पाठे ‘स्वसायां’ इत्यत्र ‘स्वसायााम्’ = स्वसायााम्/स्वसायाम् loc. sg.)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 19 (Prajā-sṛṣṭi sequence)
FAQs
This verse imparts purāṇic prajā-sṛṣṭi (cosmogonic genealogy): it classifies specific non-human beings (Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Gandharvas) by their maternal line within Kaśyapa’s progeny.
By cataloging categories of beings and their origins, it functions like a mythic taxonomy—one of the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic modes—supporting later sections that reference these classes in ritual, cosmology, and narrative contexts.
It frames the universe as an ordered, lineage-based creation under Kaśyapa, encouraging a dhārmic worldview where beings have defined origins and roles—supporting reverence for cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) rather than moral chaos.