Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 14
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
कंसो ऽपि पूतनादींश् च प्रेषयद्बालनाशने यशोदापतिनन्दाय वसुदेवेन चार्पितौ
kaṃso 'pi pūtanādīṃś ca preṣayadbālanāśane yaśodāpatinandāya vasudevena cārpitau
کَنس نے بھی بچے کے ہلاک کرنے کے لیے پوتنا وغیرہ کو بھیجا؛ اور وہ دونوں (شیرخوار) واسو دیو نے یشودا کے شوہر نند کے سپرد کیے تھے۔
Lord Agni (narrating the Purana’s account to Vashistha, in the standard Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Narrative teaching on safeguarding the divine child (or dharma) amid persecution; used in Krishna-katha and moral instruction about protective guardianship.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kamsa sends Pūtanā; Vasudeva entrusts the children to Nanda","lookup_keywords":["Putana sent","Kamsa plot","child protection","Vasudeva Nanda","Yashoda"],"quick_summary":"Kamsa escalates by sending Pūtanā and other agents to kill the child, while Vasudeva secures the child’s safety by entrusting him to Nanda of Gokula—setting the stage for Vraja-līlā."}
Alamkara Type: Kathanaka progression with Utkarsa (rising tension)
Weapon Type: Assassination/poisoning motif (Pūtanā as covert killer)
Concept: Dharma is preserved through prudent protection and right alliances; adharma uses deceit, while the righteous employ wise guardianship without cruelty.
Application: In hostile environments, protect the vulnerable through trusted networks and timely relocation; combine faith with practical prudence.
Khanda Section: Avataras & Krishna-Charita (Vaishnava narrative section)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: vatsalya
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kamsa in council dispatches Pūtanā and other emissaries; parallel scene shows Vasudeva entrusting the child to Nanda in a pastoral setting with Yaśodā implied.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split narrative: left Kamsa sending Pūtanā (dark aura), right Vasudeva handing infant to Nanda in Gokula with cows and trees, bold colors and stylized faces","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Kamsa on throne with attendants, Pūtanā receiving command; second panel with Nanda holding infant, gold halos and ornate borders, rich pastoral motifs","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear storytelling in two registers, detailed costumes, gentle Vraja landscape with cows, subdued palace interior for Kamsa scene","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scene with Kamsa and emissaries, then a night-time or pastoral transfer scene with Vasudeva and Nanda, fine architectural and landscape detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kaṃso 'pi = kaṃsaḥ + api; preṣayadbālanāśane = preṣayat + bāla-nāśane; vasudevena cārpitau = vasudevena + ca + arpitau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Krishna’s Vraja episodes (Pūtanā-vadha etc.) in subsequent narrative flow; Agni Purana sections on rakṣā (protective rites) as thematic parallel
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as narrative theology, describing Kamsa’s practical measures (sending Pūtanā and others) and the protective relocation/entrusting of the child to Nanda’s household.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s multi-genre scope: alongside ritual, polity, and śāstra topics, it preserves core Purāṇic avatāra narratives (Krishna-charita) that transmit dharma, bhakti, and sacred history.
The passage highlights the karmic contrast between adharmic aggression (Kamsa’s child-slaying intent) and dharmic protection (Vasudeva’s safeguarding act), reinforcing the Purāṇic theme that divine order ultimately protects the righteous and thwarts destructive intent.