Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 14
Varāhādy-avatāra-varṇana
Description of Varāha and Other Incarnations
दत्तात्रेयप्रसादेन कार्त्तवीर्यो नृपस्त्वभृत् सहस्रबाहुः सर्वोर्वी- पतिः स मृगयां गतः
dattātreyaprasādena kārttavīryo nṛpastvabhṛt sahasrabāhuḥ sarvorvī- patiḥ sa mṛgayāṃ gataḥ
دَتّاتریہ کے فضل سے راجا کارتّویریہ (سہسر باہو) تمام زمین کا فرمانروا بنا اور شکار کی مہم پر روانہ ہوا۔
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic history to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Frames kingship as contingent on guru/ṛṣi-anugraha; cautions that royal power should be exercised within dharma even in leisure acts like hunting.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kārttavīrya Arjuna (Sahasrabāhu) empowered by Dattātreya; royal hunt","lookup_keywords":["Kārttavīrya","Sahasrabāhu","Dattātreya-prasāda","mṛgayā","cakravartin"],"quick_summary":"Kārttavīrya’s universal sovereignty is presented as arising from Dattātreya’s grace; the narrative turns on how such power is later tested through conduct."}
Alamkara Type: Upākhyāna (itihāsa-narrative) with epithet-based characterization
Weapon Type: Bow (implied in mṛgayā)
Concept: Aiśvarya (power) is derivative of anugraha and must remain dharma-bound.
Application: Leaders should treat success as entrusted power; cultivate restraint and reverence toward sages and sacred spaces.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Purana: Royal Genealogies and Legends (Rajavamsa-Charita)
Primary Rasa: Vīra
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: Forest (implied by hunting context)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A many-armed sovereign king, empowered by Dattātreya’s grace, rides out with retinue into a forest for a hunt.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Dattātreya blessing Kārttavīrya Sahasrabāhu; the king with multiple arms holding royal weapons, attendants and hunters entering dense green forest, bold outlines, flat luminous colors, temple-mural composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central Sahasrabāhu king with ornate crown and jewelry, multiple arms with weapons; small vignette of Dattātreya above granting boon; gold leaf highlights on regalia, stylized forest border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: narrative panel—king mounting horse/elephant with hunting party; subtle shading, delicate linework; Dattātreya shown in a corner as boon-giver; emphasis on courtly detail.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: royal hunt procession with detailed flora/fauna; Sahasrabāhu depicted symbolically with extra arms; courtly realism, fine brushwork, layered landscape depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नृपस्त्वभृत् = नृपः + तु + अभृत्; सर्वोर्वीपतिः = सर्व + उर्वी + पतिः (सन्धि: अ+उ→ओ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 4.15-4.18 (Jamadagni–Kāmadhenu–Paraśurāma sequence); Agni Purana sections on avatāra-kathā of Paraśurāma (elsewhere in Purāṇa)
FAQs
This verse conveys Purāṇic rajavamsa-knowledge: the legitimization of kingship through a guru/deity’s grace (Dattātreya-prasāda) and the royal practice of mṛgayā (the king’s hunt) as a recognized activity of the ruler.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s historical-encyclopedic layer—cataloging dynasties, epithets, and royal conduct—alongside its other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, and arts), thereby functioning as a compendium of cultural memory and governance ideals.
The verse highlights that worldly authority and extraordinary prowess (Sahasrabāhu) are portrayed as arising from divine/saintly favor (prasāda), implying that merit, devotion, and right relationship to revered teachers/deities underpin legitimate power and its exercise.