Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 5
Chapter 16 — बुद्धाद्यवतारकथनम्
Narration of Buddha and Other Incarnations
नरकार्हं कर्म चक्रुर्ग्रहीष्यन्त्यधमादपि सर्वे कलियुगान्ते तु भविष्यन्ति च सङ्कराः
narakārhaṃ karma cakrurgrahīṣyantyadhamādapi sarve kaliyugānte tu bhaviṣyanti ca saṅkarāḥ
వారు నరకార్హమైన కర్మలు చేస్తారు; అందరూ అతి నీచమైన ఉపాయాలనూ స్వీకరిస్తారు. కలియుగాంతంలో వారు అందరూ ‘సంకర’—వర్ణాశ్రమధర్మం, నైతిక క్రమం భంగమై ఏర్పడిన కలగలిసిన గందరగోళ ప్రజాసమూహం—అవుతారు.
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana’s yuga-dharma account, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Yuga-dharma vigilance: use the described moral symptoms as a diagnostic checklist for personal conduct, community ethics, and governance; strengthen dharmic safeguards when signs intensify.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kali-yuga Dharma-kshaya Lakshana: Narakarha-karma and Sankara","lookup_keywords":["Kali-yuga","dharma-kshaya","naraka-arha karma","saṅkara","adhama-upāya"],"quick_summary":"The verse lists Kali-yuga markers: hell-deserving actions, adoption of base means, and social-moral ‘saṅkara’ (confusion/mixing). Treat it as a warning-sign index to correct behavior and institutions early."}
Concept: Adharma manifests as naraka-arha karma and culminates in saṅkara (norm-confusion) at Kali’s end.
Application: Adopt yama-niyama-like restraints, truthful livelihood, and community accountability to prevent ‘adhama’ means becoming normalized.
Khanda Section: Kali-yuga Phala & Dharma-Kshaya (Eschatology / Yuga-dharma)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A darkening Kali-yuga tableau: people committing cruel acts, choosing base livelihoods, and society dissolving into confused mixed norms; a looming sense of ‘end-of-age’ disorder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, crowded Kali-yuga street scene with unrighteous acts and social confusion, symbolic dark clouds of Kali above, expressive faces, traditional ornamentation, narrative composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents, allegorical Kali-yuga: personified Kali as shadowy figure behind people committing naraka-arha deeds, gold-highlighted dharma scales tipping, ornate borders, frontal iconic arrangement","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework and soft washes, didactic panel showing ‘good conduct’ vs ‘adhama means’ with labels, ending in ‘saṅkara’ confusion, manuscript-illustration feel","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing of a city under moral decay, officials taking bribes, families in discord, subtle symbolism of time’s wheel, muted palette, intricate architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नरकार्हम् = नरक + अर्हम्; चक्रुर् = चक्रुः (रेफ-सन्धि); ग्रहीष्यन्त्यधमादपि = ग्रहीष्यन्ति + अधमात् + अपि; कलियुगान्ते = कलि-युग-अन्ते (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Kali-yuga lakshana / yuga-dharma sections (same khanda context); Agni Purana: Rajadharma and varna-ashrama discussions (later/adjacent passages)
FAQs
This verse conveys yuga-dharma diagnostics (Kali-yuga lakṣaṇa): a practical indicator-set for recognizing dharma-kṣaya—people adopting adhama conduct and producing social ‘saṅkara’ (disorder/mixing).
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also catalogs time-cycles (yugas) and their societal consequences—functioning as a reference on ethics, social stability, and eschatological prognosis.
It warns that adopting adhama means and committing naraka-arha actions generates severe karmic downfall, culminating in widespread social and moral confusion (saṅkara), especially as Kali-yuga reaches its end.