Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 29
Chapter 13 — कुरुपाण्डवोत्पत्त्यादिकथनं
Narration of the Origin of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, and Related Matters
विश्वरूपन्दर्शयित्वा अधृष्यं विदुरार्चितः प्रागाद्युधिष्ठिरं प्राह योधयैनं सुयोधनम्
viśvarūpandarśayitvā adhṛṣyaṃ vidurārcitaḥ prāgādyudhiṣṭhiraṃ prāha yodhayainaṃ suyodhanam
Явив неодолимую вселенскую форму (Вишварупу) и будучи почтён Видурой, он пришёл к Юдхиштхире и сказал: «Заставь Суйодхану сражаться».
Agni (narrating puranic-itihasa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Teaches the theological assertion of divine sovereignty (viśvarūpa) as a moral warning; also frames counsel to act decisively when peace fails.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Viśvarūpa-darśana to Duryodhana & counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira","lookup_keywords":["viśvarūpa","Vidura","Kṛṣṇa","Yudhiṣṭhira","yoddhaya"],"quick_summary":"After revealing the universal form—beyond resistance—Kṛṣṇa, honored by Vidura, returns to advise Yudhiṣṭhira to proceed to war against Suyodhana."}
Alamkara Type: Vibhavana (rasa-uddeepana)
Concept: Īśvara-svarūpa as viśvarūpa: the divine pervades and transcends all; adharma cannot ‘contain’ or defeat the cosmic order.
Application: Cultivate discernment: reverence and alignment with dharma (Vidura-model) and readiness to act when adharma is irreformable.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-katha (Mahabharata narrative / Rajadharma context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kṛṣṇa manifests Viśvarūpa—cosmic bodies, worlds, flames, celestial beings—while Vidura reverently honors; then Kṛṣṇa returns to Yudhiṣṭhira giving firm counsel to fight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, monumental Viśvarūpa filling the frame with concentric cosmic motifs, Kṛṣṇa as radiant center, Vidura in añjali at the base, stylized flames and celestial beings, temple-mural palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Viśvarūpa with heavy gold work and embossed aureole, miniature worlds and devas within the form, Vidura worshipping, ornate borders, luminous gold dominance","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, two-scene narrative: (1) Viśvarūpa revelation with detailed iconographic elements; (2) Kṛṣṇa advising Yudhiṣṭhira in calm council, fine linework and soft gradients","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, imaginative cosmic vision rendered with delicate detail—stars, beings, flames—Kṛṣṇa towering, Vidura reverent; second vignette of strategic council in a tented camp"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विश्वरूपन्दर्शयित्वा = विश्वरूपम् + दर्शयित्वा. विदुरार्चितः = विदुर + अर्चितः. प्रागाद्युधिष्ठिरं = प्रागात् + युधिष्ठिरम्. योधयैनं = योधय + एनम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Itihasa-samgraha: Kṛṣṇa-dūta episode and war decision sequence
FAQs
This verse imparts pragmatic rajadharma counsel in an itihasa frame: after a divine demonstration of authority (viśvarūpa/adhṛṣya), the instruction is to compel engagement in battle—i.e., move from negotiation to sanctioned conflict against Suyodhana.
It shows the Agni Purana’s wide scope by embedding Mahabharata-derived statecraft and war-decision counsel (rajadharma/dharma-yuddha) alongside its many other domains (ritual, medicine, architecture, poetics), functioning as a compendium of actionable guidance through narrative exempla.
The karmic takeaway is that when adharma becomes entrenched, a righteous king may be directed toward dharma-yuddha; the verse frames forceful action as legitimate when grounded in duty rather than personal hatred, following a higher (divine) sanction symbolized by the ‘unassailable’ universal form.