Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 16
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
अजमीढस्य केशिन्यां जज्ञे जह्नुः प्रतापवान् जह्नोरभूदजकाश्वो बलाकाश्वस्तदात्मजः
ajamīḍhasya keśinyāṃ jajñe jahnuḥ pratāpavān jahnorabhūdajakāśvo balākāśvastadātmajaḥ
अजमीढस्य केशिन्यां प्रतापवान् जह्नुः समजायत। जह्नोः अजकाश्वः, तस्य चात्मजः बलाकाश्वः अभवत्।
Lord Agni (narrating dynastic lists to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Genealogical anchoring of royal-sage lineages for Itihasa-Purana study, ritual sankalpa pravara identification, and contextualizing later narratives tied to Jahnu and his descendants.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Ajamīḍha–Keśinī lineage: Jahnu → Ajakāśva → Balākāśva","lookup_keywords":["Ajamīḍha","Keśinī","Jahnu","Ajakāśva","Balākāśva"],"quick_summary":"Records a compact succession in the Ajamīḍha line, establishing Jahnu as a key ancestor and tracing two subsequent generations for later Purāṇic/Itihāsa linkage."}
Concept: Smṛti of lineage (vaṃśa-smaraṇa) as a vehicle of dharma and social memory.
Application: Use in pravara/gotra discussions, historical framing of dharma narratives, and establishing adhikāra in ritual/royal contexts.
Khanda Section: Vamshanucarita (Genealogies of kings and sages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A genealogical tableau: Ajamīḍha with queen Keśinī, presenting the birth of Jahnu; behind them a lineage scroll or symbolic succession showing Ajakāśva and Balākāśva.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat warm palette, Ajamīḍha and Keśinī seated in royal court, infant Jahnu in nurse’s arms, stylized palm-leaf genealogy motif, ornate borders, serene expressions.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central royal couple Ajamīḍha–Keśinī with haloed Jahnu, heavy gold foil ornaments, embossed jewelry, small side medallions naming Ajakāśva and Balākāśva in Devanagari cartouches.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, court interior with attendants, a painted genealogical tree behind the throne labeling Jahnu → Ajakāśva → Balākāśva, muted colors and refined faces.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene with textiles and architecture, Ajamīḍha and Keśinī receiving the newborn Jahnu, margin illumination showing two later descendants as small portrait roundels with captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Raga Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जह्नोरभूत् → जह्नोः अभूत्; बलाकाश्वस्तदात्मजः → बलाकाश्वः तत्-आत्मजः (तद् + आत्मजः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vamśānucarita sections continuing Kuśika–Gādhi–Viśvāmitra line; Agni Purana Rajadharma/Itihāsa-paramparā passages where Pāñcāla polities recur
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse transmits vamśa-krama (genealogical knowledge) by recording the succession Ajamīḍha → Jahnu → Ajākāśva → Balākāśva.
By preserving dynastic genealogy, the Agni Purāṇa functions as a historical-dharmic register alongside its ritual, political, medical, and literary chapters—cataloguing lineages that anchor narratives, tīrtha traditions, and royal legitimacy.
Remembering and transmitting righteous lineages is treated in Purāṇic culture as dharma-smṛti (custodianship of sacred history), supporting śraddhā in tradition and honoring ancestors through accurate remembrance.