Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 4
Chapter 276 — राजवंशवर्णनम्
Description of Royal Lineages
द्रुह्यस्तु वभ्रुसेतुश् च बभ्रुसेतोः पुरोवसुः ततो गान्धारा गान्धारैर् धर्मो धर्माद् घृतो ऽभवत्
druhyastu vabhrusetuś ca babhrusetoḥ purovasuḥ tato gāndhārā gāndhārair dharmo dharmād ghṛto 'bhavat
دُرہیو سے وبھروسیتو ہوا اور وبھروسیتو سے پورووسو۔ اسی سے گاندھار پیدا ہوئے؛ گاندھاروں میں دھرم پیدا ہوا اور دھرم سے گھرت پیدا ہوا۔
Lord Agni (narrating genealogies in the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Genealogical anchoring for the Druhyu line and the ethnonym 'Gāndhāra'; used to connect peoples/regions to eponymous ancestors in puranic historiography.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Genealogy: Druhyu → Vabhrusetu → Purovasu → (Gāndhāras) → Dharma → Ghṛta","lookup_keywords":["Druhyu","Vabhrusetu","Purovasu","Gāndhāra","Ghṛta"],"quick_summary":"Provides a lineage from Druhyu culminating in the Gandhāra people and named descendants Dharma and Ghṛta; functions as an etymic-ethnographic genealogy."}
Concept: Naming 'Dharma' within a lineage underscores the puranic ideal that righteous order is transmitted through kings/peoples as a civilizational principle.
Application: Supports dharmic historiography: interpreting political/ethnic identities as rooted in ancestral duty and continuity.
Khanda Section: Vamsha-Anukramanika (Genealogies / Dynastic Lists)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lineage tree beginning with Druhyu, branching to Vabhrusetu and Purovasu, then expanding into a group labeled 'Gāndhāras', with Dharma and Ghṛta as highlighted descendants.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized family tree with vine motifs, ancestral kings in profile with name bands, a cluster of Gandhāra people in the middle tier, flat colors and strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central ancestor Druhyu enthroned, descending medallions with gold-leaf nameplates for Vabhrusetu, Purovasu, Dharma, Ghṛta; decorative floral borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean genealogical diagram with miniature portraits in roundels, fine brushwork, readable labels, calm parchment-like background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, illustrated genealogy manuscript page, marginalia with small portraits and calligraphy, Gandhāra group shown as a courtly assembly."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Raga Kafi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्रुह्यः + तु → द्रुह्यस्तु (visarga before t → s); वभ्रुसेतुः + च → वभ्रुसेतुश्च (visarga before c → ś); गान्धारैः + धर्मः → गान्धारैर् धर्मः (r-sandhi); घृतः + अभवत् → घृतोऽभवत् (o-sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: broader Druhyu/Anu/Puru lineage catalogues in Vamsha sections; Agni Purana: Bharata-varsha janapada entries mentioning Gāndhāra
FAQs
This verse imparts vamśa-vidyā (genealogical knowledge): a precise lineage sequence used to preserve dynastic history and contextualize later narratives and regional peoples such as the Gandhāras.
By cataloging successions of ancestors and peoples, the Agni Purana functions as a reference work for historical-geographical memory (who descended from whom, and which groups emerged), complementing its coverage of ritual, polity, medicine, and other disciplines.
Remembering and reciting lineage in Purāṇic tradition supports śraddhā (reverent continuity) and dharma-smṛti (memory of righteous order), reinforcing identity, duty, and the sacred transmission of history through named ancestors.