Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 15
Somavaṃśa-saṃkṣepaḥ
Conclusion of the Lunar Dynasty Description
पृथुश्रवाः प्रधानो ऽभूत्तस्य पुत्रः सुयज्ञकः सुयज्ञस्योशनाः पुत्रस्तितिक्षुरुशनःसुतः
pṛthuśravāḥ pradhāno 'bhūttasya putraḥ suyajñakaḥ suyajñasyośanāḥ putrastitikṣuruśanaḥsutaḥ
पृथुश्रवाः प्रधानोऽभूत्। तस्य पुत्रः सुयज्ञकः। सुयज्ञस्य पुत्र उशनाः; उशनःसुतस्तितिक्षुः।
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogies to the sage Vasiṣṭha, per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Maintaining dynastic succession records; useful for Purāṇic historiography and for mapping interlinked lineages across texts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Succession: Pṛthuśravā → Suyajñaka → Uśanā → Titikṣu","lookup_keywords":["Pṛthuśravā","Suyajñaka","Uśanā","Titikṣu","genealogy"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact father-to-son chain, typical of Purāṇic anukramaṇikā style, enabling cross-text alignment of royal lists."}
Concept: Anukrama (ordered succession) as a knowledge-tool: preserving memory through structured lists.
Application: For students of Purāṇa/Itihāsa: build genealogical tables; use as indices for locating narratives attached to each name in other sources.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anukramanika (Genealogies / Dynastic Lists)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic lineage scroll: four kings shown in sequence with connecting lines, emphasizing ‘chief’ Pṛthuśravā and the descent to Titikṣu.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized portrait medallions connected by vine-like lineage lines; names in Grantha-like script; warm earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, four framed royal portraits with gold borders; central emphasis on Pṛthuśravā as pradhāna; connecting gold filigree lineage chain.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional genealogical chart with miniature figures and clear labels; restrained ornamentation; focus on clarity and order.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, album-page style with four bust portraits in cartouches; fine calligraphy of names; delicate floral margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"neutral","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pradhāno 'bhūt → pradhānaḥ abhūt; abhūttasya → abhūt tasya; suyajñasyośanāḥ → suyajñasya uśanāḥ; putrastitikṣuḥ → putraḥ titikṣuḥ; uśanaḥsutaḥ → uśanaḥ sutaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana vamśa lists continuing in 274.16–274.17
FAQs
This verse primarily transmits vamśa-vidyā (genealogical knowledge): a precise succession of names used to preserve dynastic memory and establish lineage continuity in Purāṇic tradition.
By cataloging lineages in a compact, record-like format, the Agni Purāṇa functions as a civilizational archive—alongside its sections on ritual, polity, medicine, and arts—preserving historical and cultural reference data (names, successions, and relations).
Remembering and reciting righteous lineages is traditionally viewed as smṛti-sādhana (cultivation of sacred memory), supporting dharma by linking individuals and communities to inherited duties, exemplars, and ancestral continuity.