Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 18
Sūryavaṃśa-kīrtana
Proclamation of the Solar Dynasty
शूद्रत्वञ्च पृषध्रो ऽगाद्धिंसयित्वा गुरोश् च गाम् मनुपुत्रादथेक्षाकोर्विकुक्षिर्देवराडभूत्
śūdratvañca pṛṣadhro 'gāddhiṃsayitvā guroś ca gām manuputrādathekṣākorvikukṣirdevarāḍabhūt
เพราะทำร้ายโคของอาจารย์ ปฤษธระจึงตกสู่ฐานะศูทร; ต่อมาจากโอรสของมนูเกิดอิกษวากุ และจากอิกษวากุเกิดวิกุกษิ ผู้เป็นราชาดุจเทพ
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic genealogy to Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Moral instruction on guru-droha and ahiṃsā toward protected animals; understanding Purāṇic accounts of varṇa consequence and solar dynasty succession.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Pṛṣadhra’s fall through harming the guru’s cow; Ikṣvāku and Vikukṣi in the solar line","lookup_keywords":["Pṛṣadhra","guru’s cow","śūdratva","Ikṣvāku","Vikukṣi"],"quick_summary":"Harming the guru’s cow is presented as a grave transgression leading to social downfall (śūdratva) for Pṛṣadhra, while the verse simultaneously continues the Ikṣvāku lineage through Vikukṣi, highlighting karmic consequence and dynastic continuity."}
Concept: Guru-bhakti and go-rakṣaṇa as dharmic pillars; karma-phala expressed as loss of status; kingship legitimacy through righteous lineage.
Application: Ethical restraint and reverence for teachers; non-violence toward protected dependents; accepting accountability and performing expiation where tradition prescribes.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Charita (Genealogies of Kings and Lineages)
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cautionary scene: Pṛṣadhra injures the guru’s cow and faces downfall; alongside, a royal genealogical vignette introducing Ikṣvāku and the birth of Vikukṣi, portrayed as a radiant king.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic moment with a cow near a hermitage, the guru in distress, Pṛṣadhra shown remorseful; adjacent royal panel with Ikṣvāku enthroned and infant Vikukṣi; strong gestures, warm earth tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: hermitage scene with cow and guru under a gold-arched frame; Pṛṣadhra with lowered head; second register shows Ikṣvāku’s court with gold embellishments and a haloed, ‘devarāṭ’ aura around Vikukṣi.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear narrative sequencing—(1) accidental/culpable injury to cow, (2) judgment/realization, (3) royal lineage continuation; fine linework, readable expressions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: pastoral hermitage with detailed flora and a cow; Pṛṣadhra confronted by the guru; in a separate vignette, a refined court scene of Ikṣvāku with attendants and the young Vikukṣi."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शूद्रत्वञ्च = शूद्रत्वम् + च; पृषध्रो ऽगात् = पृषध्रः + अगात्; अगाद्धिंसयित्वा = अगात् + हिंसयित्वा; गुरोश् च = गुरोः + च; मनुपुत्रादथेक्षाकोः = मनु-पुत्रात् + अथ + इक्षाकोः; विकुक्षिर्देवराडभूत् = विकुक्षिः + देवराट् + अभूत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana vaṃśa lists of Manu’s sons and Ikṣvāku lineage; Agni Purana dharma-related passages on guru-sevā and ahiṃsā (where present)
FAQs
This verse imparts genealogical-ethical knowledge: it links royal lineage (Manu → Ikṣvāku → Vikukṣi) with a karmic-legal principle—harm to a guru’s cow results in social demotion (loss of varṇa-status).
It combines vaṃśa (dynastic history) with dharma-ethics, showing how the Agni Purāṇa catalogs kings and successions while also encoding norms about guru-sevā, protection of cattle, and consequences of transgression.
The karmic takeaway is that violence toward a guru’s property—especially a cow—produces immediate demerit and social downfall, whereas righteous kingship is affirmed through the lineage culminating in a “devarāṭ,” an exemplary ruler.