Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 3
Chapter 16 — बुद्धाद्यवतारकथनम्
Narration of Buddha and Other Incarnations
मोहयामास दैत्यांस्तांस्त्याजिता वेदधर्मकम् ते च बौद्धा बभूवुर्हि तेभ्योन्ये वेदवर्जिताः
mohayāmāsa daityāṃstāṃstyājitā vedadharmakam te ca bauddhā babhūvurhi tebhyonye vedavarjitāḥ
Ngài làm cho những Daitya ấy mê lầm; bỏ rơi pháp (dharma) đặt nền trên Veda, họ quả thật trở thành Phật tử; và từ họ lại phát sinh những kẻ khác nữa, vốn lìa xa Veda.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s primary dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Serves as a purāṇic polemic explaining non-Vedic paths as arising from delusion; used in sectarian boundary-making and in arguments for Veda-prāmāṇya.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Veda-dharma-tyāga and Bauddha-utpatti (Moha-prasaṅga)","lookup_keywords":["Veda-dharma","moha","daitya","Bauddha","veda-vajita"],"quick_summary":"States that the daityas were deluded into abandoning Veda-based dharma and became Buddhists; it frames Veda-rejection as the hallmark of the ensuing groups."}
Alamkara Type: Nidāna (causal statement) in compact style
Concept: Veda-prāmāṇya is asserted; abandoning Veda-dharma is portrayed as a result of moha (delusion).
Application: Within this text’s framework: uphold śruti-smṛti grounded practices; evaluate teachings by their alignment with Veda-authority.
Khanda Section: Dharma–Darshana (Pāṣaṇḍa-khaṇḍana / Bauddha-moha-prasaṅga)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic scene: daityas, clouded by delusion, turn away from Vedic rites; a symbolic shift shows them adopting a new identity labeled ‘Bauddha,’ with others branching off as Veda-rejecters.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, allegorical depiction: a dark veil of ‘moha’ descending over daityas, Vedic fire-altar fading in the background, figures turning toward a new teacher silhouette, bold outlines and symbolic color contrast","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, symbolic composition with a central ‘Moha’ figure (personified delusion) and groups turning away from a glowing yajña-kuṇḍa, gold highlights on the altar fading toward the periphery, strong didactic iconography","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional allegory: left side Vedic ritual scene, right side group adopting non-Vedic markers, a translucent mist between them labeled as moha (via visual symbolism), clean lines and readable staging","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative allegory in a garden-court setting: a ritual pavilion on one side, a debating assembly on the other, daityas moving across, subtle smoky wash indicating delusion, fine detail and restrained palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दैत्यांस्तांस्त्याजिता = दैत्यान् तान् त्याजिताः; बभूवुर्हि = बभूवुः हि; तेभ्योन्ये = तेभ्यः अन्ये.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 16.2 (Māyā-moha manifestation); Agni Purāṇa 16.4 (Ārhata/Jaina extension)
FAQs
It conveys a dharma-śāstric principle: abandoning Veda-based dharma is framed as a consequence of delusion, marking a shift into non-Vedic (vedavarjita) systems.
Beyond rituals and sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also catalogs doctrinal categories—Vedic dharma, non-Vedic movements, and polemical narratives—showing its broad coverage of religion, philosophy, and sectarian history as understood in Purāṇic literature.
The verse implies that rejecting Veda-dharma is spiritually perilous because it is associated with moha (bewilderment), which leads beings away from sanctioned dharmic conduct and its merit-bearing results.