Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 16
कुरुपाण्डवसङ्ग्रामवर्णनम्
Description of the War between the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas
अर्जुनः पाण्डवानाञ्च तयोर्युद्धं बभूव ह शस्त्राशस्त्रि महारौद्रं देवासुररणोपमम्
arjunaḥ pāṇḍavānāñca tayoryuddhaṃ babhūva ha śastrāśastri mahāraudraṃ devāsuraraṇopamam
Rồi bấy giờ xảy ra trận chiến giữa Arjuna và các Pāṇḍava, giao tranh cả bằng vũ khí lẫn tay không, vô cùng dữ dội, tựa như cuộc chiến giữa chư thiên và loài asura.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic-Itihāsa material to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Frames the Mahabharata battle as a paradigmatic ‘devasura-sangrama’ to teach the scale, ferocity, and mixed-mode combat (armed/unarmed) that a kshatriya narrative assumes.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Devasura-sangramopama Yuddha (Arjuna–Pandava encounter)","lookup_keywords":["Arjuna","yuddha","shastra-ashastra","devasura-rana","maharoudra"],"quick_summary":"Describes a battle as extremely fierce, fought both with weapons and bare-handed, likened to the archetypal gods-vs-asuras war—an epic benchmark for intensity and dharma-yuddha atmosphere."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Weapon Type: Mixed (shastra and ashasta)
Concept: War as a dharmic ordeal can be portrayed through cosmic analogies to convey moral gravity and the collapse of ordinary measures.
Application: Use epic exempla to discuss limits of violence, kshatriya duty, and the need for restraint even amid ‘maharoudra’ conditions.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Katha (Mahabharata narrative / Puranic war-episode)
Primary Rasa: Raudra
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A panoramic battlefield where Arjuna clashes amid Pandava forces; weapons fly while some warriors grapple bare-handed; the sky seems charged like a devasura war.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, saturated mineral colors, stylized warriors with expressive eyes; Arjuna centered with bow, surrounding figures in dynamic poses; devasura-war aura in the sky, conch and drum motifs, dense battlefield composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on armor and weapons; Arjuna radiant at center, ornate borders; layered battlefield with shimmering arrows and maces; divine-cosmic glow suggesting devasura comparison.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework and soft shading; instructional clarity showing armed and unarmed combat simultaneously—archery on one side, grappling on the other; labeled-like compositional order without text.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ranks of soldiers, realistic horses and armor; Arjuna identifiable by bow and posture; dramatic dust clouds; subtle celestial beings in margins to imply devasura-war analogy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाण्डवानाञ्च = पाण्डवानाम् + च; तयोर्युद्धम् = तयोः + युद्धम्; शस्त्राशस्त्रि = शस्त्र + अशस्त्रि(न्) (द्वन्द्व); देवासुररणोपमम् = देव + असुर + रण + उपमम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Mahabharata-sangraha sections (Itihasa-khanda); Agni Purana Dhanurveda/astravidya chapters (weapon taxonomy and training)
FAQs
It signals a Dhanurveda-oriented idea of combat classification: śastra (armed fighting) and aśastra (unarmed/without weapons), emphasizing the spectrum of battle methods.
By embedding Itihāsa-style war narration and military terminology (śastra/aśastra) within a Purāṇa, it preserves historical-epic material alongside practical knowledge traditions like martial science.
The deva–asura simile frames the conflict as a cosmic-scale struggle, reminding readers that actions in war carry grave dharmic and karmic weight and should be aligned with righteous duty rather than rage.