Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 1
Chapter 275 — द्वादशसङ्ग्रामाः
The Twelve Battles
इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे यदुवंशवर्णनं नाम चतुःसप्तत्यधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः अथ पञ्चसप्तत्यधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः द्वादशसङ्ग्रामाः अग्निर् उवाच कश्यपो वसुदेवो ऽभूद्देवकी चादितिर्वरा देवक्यां वसुदेवात्तु कृष्णो ऽभूत्तपसान्वितः
ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe yaduvaṃśavarṇanaṃ nāma catuḥsaptatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ atha pañcasaptatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ dvādaśasaṅgrāmāḥ agnir uvāca kaśyapo vasudevo 'bhūddevakī cāditirvarā devakyāṃ vasudevāttu kṛṣṇo 'bhūttapasānvitaḥ
இவ்வாறு அக்னி மகாபுராணத்தில் ‘யது வம்ச வர்ணனம்’ எனும் இருநூற்று எழுபத்துநான்காம் அத்தியாயம் நிறைவுற்றது. இப்போது இருநூற்று எழுபத்திஐந்தாம் அத்தியாயம்—‘பன்னிரண்டு போர்கள்’—ஆரம்பம். அக்னி கூறினார்: காச்யபர் வசுதேவராக ஆனார்; உயர்ந்த தேவகி அதிதியாக ஆனாள். தேவகியின் கருவில் வசுதேவனால் தவவலத்துடன் கூடிய கிருஷ்ணன் பிறந்தான்.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Marks chapter colophon and narrative shift; provides avatāra-identification (Kaśyapa→Vasudeva, Aditi→Devakī) used in theological exegesis and in structuring recitation cycles.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Avatāra-identification and chapter transition: Kaśyapa–Aditi as Vasudeva–Devakī; Kṛṣṇa’s birth with tapas","lookup_keywords":["Kaśyapa Vasudeva","Aditi Devakī","Kṛṣṇa janma tapas","Dvādaśa-saṅgrāma","Agni uvāca"],"quick_summary":"Concludes the Yadu dynasty chapter and opens the ‘Twelve Battles’ chapter, stating the incarnational identities of Vasudeva and Devakī and affirming Kṛṣṇa’s birth endowed with tapas (spiritual potency)."}
Concept: Avatāra doctrine framed through cosmic correspondences: primordial progenitors (Kaśyapa, Aditi) manifest as human parents to facilitate divine descent; tapas signifies concentrated spiritual power enabling world-restoration.
Application: In discourse and study, interpret avatāra narratives through layered identities (cosmic-to-human) and treat ‘tapas’ as the operative spiritual force behind transformative action.
Khanda Section: Purana-Vamsha-Charita (Genealogies and Dynastic History: Yaduvamsha / Krishna-avatara context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: City
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Split scene: a manuscript-like colophon band announcing chapter end/beginning; below, Devakī and Vasudeva with a radiant newborn Kṛṣṇa, with subtle celestial overlays showing Kaśyapa and Aditi as their higher identities; distant hint of impending battles (standards, drums).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top register with stylized palm-leaf manuscript colophon motif; central Devakī-Vasudeva with glowing infant Kṛṣṇa; faint celestial Kaśyapa-Aditi forms in the sky; side elements: war-drums and banners foreshadowing twelve battles; rich flat colors, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf emphasis on halos and the infant’s radiance; Devakī and Vasudeva seated, celestial Kaśyapa and Aditi above in small medallions; decorative inscription panel for chapter title; subtle battle emblems (conch, standards) at edges.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional layout: clear title cartouche ‘Dvādaśa-saṅgrāmāḥ’; central birth scene; upper small portraits labeled Kaśyapa/Aditi; neat composition suitable for didactic manuscript illustration.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined interior with Devakī and Vasudeva, infant Kṛṣṇa luminous; marginalia-like text panel indicating chapter transition; sky medallions with Kaśyapa and Aditi; distant courtyard with soldiers and standards hinting at upcoming battles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity āgneye = iti + āgneye (vowel sandhi); 'dhyāyaḥ = adhyāyaḥ with avagraha after o; agnir uvāca = agniḥ + uvāca (visarga sandhi); vasudevo 'bhūt = vasudevaḥ + abhūt; bhūddevakī = abhūt + devakī (d doubling); cāditirvarā = ca + aditiḥ + varā; vasudevāttu = vasudevāt + tu (t + t → tt); 'bhūttapasānvitaḥ = abhūt + tapasānvitaḥ (t doubling).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 274 (Yaduvaṃśa-varṇana colophon); Agni Purana 275 (Dvādaśa-saṅgrāma narrative arc)
FAQs
This verse is primarily genealogical and narrative (vaṃśa/itihāsa framing): it links divine identities (Kaśyapa, Aditi) to the Yādava context (Vasudeva, Devakī) and introduces the chapter topic “Twelve Battles,” rather than prescribing a ritual procedure.
It demonstrates the Purāṇic method of integrating dynastic history, avatāra theology, and chapter-structuring colophons—showing how the Agni Purāṇa compiles lineage mapping alongside broader subjects across its chapters.
By presenting Kṛṣṇa as “tapasānvita” (endowed with ascetic-spiritual potency) and situating his birth within a sanctified lineage, the verse reinforces devotion and sacred history as merit-bearing contemplation (smaraṇa) for the listener/reader.