Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 22
Somavaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lunar Dynasty
वृषपर्वजा शर्मिष्ठा ययातेः पञ्च तत्सुताः यदुञ्च तुर्वसुञ्चैव देवयानी व्यजायत
vṛṣaparvajā śarmiṣṭhā yayāteḥ pañca tatsutāḥ yaduñca turvasuñcaiva devayānī vyajāyata
Si Śarmiṣṭhā, anak ni Vṛṣaparvan, ay nagsilang kay Yayāti ng limang anak na lalaki; at si Devayānī naman ay nagsilang din kina Yadu at Turvasu.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic genealogy to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Remembering dynastic succession and maternal line distinctions (Śarmiṣṭhā vs Devayānī) for interpreting later political/ethical episodes in Yadu–Turvasu lines.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Yayāti’s sons from Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī","lookup_keywords":["Śarmiṣṭhā","Vṛṣaparvan","Devayānī","Yadu","Turvasu"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates offspring attribution by queen/consort, establishing the branching of lineages crucial for later Itihāsa-Purāṇa narratives."}
Concept: Purāṇic dharma preserves memory of ancestry and social obligations through accurate vaṃśa-smṛti.
Application: Use genealogical awareness to contextualize duties, alliances, and narrative causality in dharma-itihāsa study.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anucharita (Genealogies of Kings and Lineages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two queens/consorts of Yayāti—Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī—presented with their sons; a genealogical tree motif showing branches labeled Yadu and Turvasu and other sons.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Yayāti seated as king, Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī standing on either side with children grouped, stylized vaṃśa-vṛkṣa (genealogy tree) behind with name labels, traditional ornaments and flat color fields","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, royal portrait of Yayāti with two consorts, children arranged symmetrically, gold leaf highlighting crowns and jewelry, decorative genealogy scroll at the bottom naming Yadu and Turvasu","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, manuscript-like genealogical diagram integrated with figures: neat labels for sons, soft background wash, emphasis on clarity of lineage branching","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court interior with Yayāti, two noblewomen, attendants holding infants/children, a painted genealogical chart on a scroll being read aloud, intricate textiles and architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yaduñca = yadum ca; turvasuñcaiva = turvasum ca eva.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 273.23 (Druhyu–Anu–Pūru listing); Agni Purana 274.1 (start of Yaduvaṃśa)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse transmits vamśa-vidyā—dynastic genealogy—by naming Yayāti’s sons through Śarmiṣṭhā and Devayānī.
By preserving lineage data (vamśa lists), the Agni Purana functions as a historical-chronological register alongside its ritual, dharma, and śāstra materials—one strand of its encyclopedic compilation.
Genealogical remembrance supports purāṇic smṛti and śravaṇa: recalling dharmic lineages is treated as meritorious and frames later teachings through exemplars of kingship, duty, and consequence.