Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 20
Sargaviṣayaka-varṇana — The Topics of Primary Creation
Sarga
मृत्योर्व्याधिजराशोकतृष्णाक्रोधाश् च जज्ञिरे ब्रह्मणश् च रुदन् जातो रोदनाद्रुद्रनामकः
mṛtyorvyādhijarāśokatṛṣṇākrodhāś ca jajñire brahmaṇaś ca rudan jāto rodanādrudranāmakaḥ
จากมฤตยูได้บังเกิด โรค ชรา โศก ตัณหา และโทสะ; และจากพรหมาได้บังเกิดผู้หนึ่งร้องไห้—เพราะการร้องไห้ (โรทนะ) นั้น จึงได้ชื่อว่า รุทระ
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s account to Vasiṣṭha in the standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Recognize vyādhi–jarā–śoka–tṛṣṇā–krodha as death-linked afflictions; motivates preventive discipline, emotional regulation, and spiritual practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Mṛtyu-janya afflictions and Rudra-nāma etymology","lookup_keywords":["vyādhi","jarā","śoka","tṛṣṇā","krodha","rudra-rodana"],"quick_summary":"Afflictions are genealogically traced to Death, and Rudra’s name is given via etymology from his crying—linking cosmology with moral-psychological causation and theogonic naming."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Alamkara Type: Nirukti/Śleṣa (etymological wordplay: rodana → Rudra)
Concept: Kleśas (tṛṣṇā, krodha, śoka) are bound to mortality; naming Rudra from crying signals the existential condition that drives beings toward refuge in the divine.
Application: Cultivate vairāgya and kṣamā; treat craving and anger as root drivers of suffering and disease, aligning conduct with dharma and sādhanā.
Khanda Section: Cosmogony and Theogony (Creation of beings; Rudra’s manifestation)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A two-part scene: Death personified generating five afflictions (disease, old age, grief, craving, anger) as shadowy offspring; alongside, Brahmā with a newborn Rudra crying, the name ‘Rudra’ indicated by the act of rodana.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Brahmā seated on lotus with four faces; a crying child-Rudra in front; to the side, Mṛtyu as dark figure releasing five smaller personifications labeled vyādhi, jarā, śoka, tṛṣṇā, krodha; bold reds/ochres, traditional ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold work: Brahmā with radiant halo, infant Rudra with small trident motif; Mṛtyu in darker palette; five afflictions as stylized attendants; embossed jewelry and gold borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: didactic split-panel composition; left—Mṛtyu and five personified states; right—Brahmā naming Rudra from the crying; fine lines, soft colors, explanatory captions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly Brahmā scene with attendants; infant crying rendered naturalistically; allegorical Mṛtyu and five afflictions in a lower register; intricate floral margins and calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मृत्योर्व्याधि… → मृत्योः + व्याधि…; क्रोधाश् → क्रोधाः (visarga before च); ब्रह्मणश् → ब्रह्मणः (visarga before च); रोदनाद्रुद्र… → रोदनात् + रुद्र….
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sarga 20 (Rudra manifestation and naming); Agni Purana sections on roga-nidāna and āyurvedic topics (where present)
FAQs
It gives a cosmogonic mapping of key afflictions (vyādhi, jarā, śoka, tṛṣṇā, krodha) as emanations from Mṛtyu, and provides an etymological-narrative derivation of the name ‘Rudra’ from ‘rodana’ (crying).
Alongside rituals and practical sciences elsewhere, the Agni Purana also preserves creation-theology: it classifies human sufferings as cosmic principles and records deity-name derivations (nirukti-style), showing its breadth from metaphysics to linguistic-theological explanation.
By tracing suffering-conditions to primordial sources, the verse frames them as part of saṃsāra’s structure—encouraging detachment and spiritual discipline, and highlighting Rudra as a potent divine principle encountered amid dissolution, fear, and transformation.