Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 37
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
तं मत्स्यं शम्बरायादान्मायावत्यै च शम्बरः
taṃ matsyaṃ śambarāyādānmāyāvatyai ca śambaraḥ
اس نے وہ مچھلی شَمبَر کو دے دی؛ اور شَمبَر نے اسے مایاوَتی کے حوالے کر دیا۔
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Narrative linkage for the Pradyumna–Māyāvatī episode: tracking the transfer of the ‘fish’ as a plot-device tied to māyā/occult concealment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Transfer of the Fish: From (He) to Śambara; From Śambara to Māyāvatī","lookup_keywords":["Shambara","Mayavati","fish episode","Pradyumna legend","maya concealment"],"quick_summary":"A compact narrative step: the fish is handed to Śambara, who then gives it to Māyāvatī—setting up recognition and recovery of the concealed husband/child."}
Alamkara Type: Dhvani
Concept: Māyā and concealment operate through ordinary objects; destiny unfolds via small narrative pivots.
Application: In teaching/recitation, highlight how Purāṇas encode causality through simple exchanges that later reveal hidden truth.
Khanda Section: Avataras and Puranic Narratives (Krishna-related legends)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fish being presented: a figure hands a fish to the asura Śambara; Śambara then passes it to Māyāvatī, hinting at a secret within.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic handover of a large fish, Śambara with asuric features, Māyāvatī in elegant attire, stylized waves and lotus borders, earthy reds and greens.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, fish as central object with gold highlights, Śambara in ornate but fierce posture, Māyāvatī receiving it, gilded halos and decorative arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, sequential narrative composition (two panels): fish given to Śambara, then to Māyāvatī; clear gestures, minimal background, didactic labeling.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, marketplace or palace courtyard exchange, attendants, detailed fish scales, refined costumes, architectural backdrop with patterned tiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शम्बरायादान् = शम्बराय + अदात्; मायावत्यै च = मायावत्यै + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 12.38–12.39 (immediate continuation of the fish-recognition and slaying of Śambara)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; the verse functions as a narrative link describing the transfer of the fish between characters.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s inclusion of widely known Puranic/Krishna-cycle legends alongside its technical sections, preserving intertextual mythic history and character networks.
Its significance is contextual rather than prescriptive: it advances the providential storyline in which seemingly ordinary exchanges become instruments for dharmic outcomes in Puranic narration.