Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 7
Description of the Royal Dynasties (राजवंशवर्णनम्) — Chapter Colophon and Transition
शकुन्तलायान्तु बली यस्य नाम्ना तु भारताः सुतेषु मातृकोपेन नष्टेषु भरतस्य च
śakuntalāyāntu balī yasya nāmnā tu bhāratāḥ suteṣu mātṛkopena naṣṭeṣu bharatasya ca
శకుంతల నుండి ఒక బలవంతుడు కుమారుడు జన్మించాడు; అతని నామం వల్ల ప్రజలు ‘భారతులు’ అని ప్రసిద్ధి పొందారు. భరతుని కుమారులు మాతృకోపం (శాపం) వల్ల నశించిన కథ కూడా చెప్పబడింది।
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic history to Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s usual dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Explains ethnonym ‘Bhārata’ from Bharata and preserves the cautionary motif of maternal curse/anger affecting progeny—used in moral instruction and dynastic lore.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Śakuntalā’s Son Bharata and the Name ‘Bhārata’","lookup_keywords":["Śakuntalā","Bharata","Bhārata name","maternal curse","sons destroyed"],"quick_summary":"Connects Bharata’s birth from Śakuntalā to the people-name ‘Bhārata’ and notes the episode of Bharata’s sons perishing due to maternal anger/curse, a moralized dynastic tradition."}
Alamkara Type: Itivritta (narrative) / Anusmriti allusion
Concept: Speech/anger (kopa) as karmically potent; lineage depends on restraint and dharmic conduct within family relations.
Application: Ethical instruction: cultivate kṣamā (forbearance) and measured speech in household governance to avoid ruinous consequences.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Puranic Genealogies (Bharata–Shakuntala Narrative / Dynastic Eponyms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śakuntalā with the powerful child Bharata; a secondary vignette shows the tragic loss of Bharata’s sons due to a mother’s curse/anger, emphasizing moral gravity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, forest hermitage setting with Śakuntalā in ascetic ornaments holding child Bharata, luminous aura; side-panel showing curse scene with stern maternal figure, subdued tones for tragedy, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Śakuntalā and Bharata centered with gold halo, rich sari and ornaments, hermitage arch motif; smaller inset showing the curse consequence, gold detailing contrasting with darker narrative inset","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined lines, two-scene narrative: (1) birth/recognition of Bharata, (2) maternal anger leading to sons’ destruction; clear storytelling composition, gentle palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed hermitage garden, Śakuntalā with child Bharata, attendants and sages; separate register depicting curse/aftermath, expressive faces, intricate foliage and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शकुन्तलायान्तु = शकुन्तलायाः + तु
Related Themes: Agni Purana dynastic passages on Bharata’s succession and adoption/continuation motifs; Agni Purana Itihasa summaries touching Duṣyanta–Śakuntalā episode
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse transmits dynastic-historical knowledge (vaṁśa/itihāsa), explaining how the name “Bhārata” becomes an eponym for the people.
It adds the itihāsa–vaṁśānucarita layer: alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purāṇa preserves cultural memory through genealogies and eponymic origins (e.g., why the populace is called Bhārata).
It underscores karmic causality in lineage outcomes—how wrath/curse (kopa) can lead to destruction—serving as a moral warning about anger’s consequences within dharmic family life.