Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 2
Mantra-paribhāṣā (मन्त्रपरिभाषा) — Colophon/Closure
शेषवासुकितक्षाख्याः कर्कटो ऽब्जो महाम्बुजः शङ्खपालश् च कुलिक इत्य् अष्टौनागवर्यकाः
śeṣavāsukitakṣākhyāḥ karkaṭo 'bjo mahāmbujaḥ śaṅkhapālaś ca kulika ity aṣṭaunāgavaryakāḥ
Sina Śeṣa, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Karkaṭa, Abja, Mahāmbuja, Śaṅkhapāla, at Kulika—sila ang ipinahahayag na walong pinakadakilang Nāga, mga haring-ahas.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Taxonomic recall of principal Nāga-kings for Purāṇic cosmography, ritual narration, and mythic genealogy indexing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aṣṭa Nāgavarya (Eight Foremost Serpent-Kings)","lookup_keywords":["Aṣṭa-nāga","Śeṣa","Vāsuki","Takṣaka","Śaṅkhapāla"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates the canonical eight Nāga-kings used as a standard cosmological roster. Useful as a mnemonic list for Purāṇic geography (Nāga-loka) and mythic lineages."}
Concept: Cosmic classification (nāma–rūpa ordering) as a means to comprehend layered worlds and beings.
Application: Use as a structured roster for teaching cosmology, recitation, and organizing related narratives (e.g., churning, Garuḍa–Nāga motifs).
Khanda Section: Cosmology & Mythic Zoology (Nāga-loka / Serpent Kings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Cosmic-Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal assembly of eight regal serpent-kings named in order, each distinct in hood, jewel, and posture, set in a jeweled Nāga-loka court.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet ornate palette, eight Nāga-kings in a semicircle with multi-hooded hoods, jeweled crowns, lotus motifs, Nāga-loka cavern with gem glow, crisp linework, sacred symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central jeweled Nāga throne with Śeṣa prominent, gold leaf halos and embossed ornaments, the other seven Nāgas flanking, rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry, stylized lotuses.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate shading, labeled figures (Śeṣa, Vāsuki, Takṣaka etc.), refined courtly arrangement, soft background of Pātāla gems, emphasis on clarity and didactic identification.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene in an underground jeweled hall, eight serpent-kings with individualized patterns and regalia, fine borders, naturalistic faces, meticulous ornament rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: karkaṭo 'bjo = karkaṭaḥ + abjaḥ; śaṅkhapālaś ca = śaṅkhapālaḥ + ca; ity = iti; aṣṭaunāga- = aṣṭau + nāga-.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: cosmology/pātāla-nirūpaṇa sections; nāga-varṇana sequences in the same khanda
FAQs
It transmits nāga-nāma-jñāna—an authoritative list of the eight foremost Nāga kings used for identification in Purāṇic cosmology and related recitational contexts.
By preserving a standardized catalogue of mythic entities (Nāgas), the text functions as a reference compendium—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic features alongside its many other subject-lists.
Remembering and reciting revered names within Purāṇic traditions is commonly treated as smṛti-based merit (puṇya) and as cultivating sacred awareness of the cosmic order in which such beings are situated.