Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 33
Śrīrāmāvatāravarṇanam (Description of Śrī Rāma’s Incarnation) — Ayodhyā Abhiṣeka, Vanavāsa, Daśaratha’s Death, Bharata’s Regency
न त्वं भार्या इति ग, घ, छ, चिह्नितपुस्तकत्रयपाठः संश्रित इति ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः लक्ष्मणः स गुहो रात्रौ चक्रतुर्जागरं हि तौ सुमन्त्रं सरथं त्यक्त्वा प्रातर् नावाथ जाह्नवीं
na tvaṃ bhāryā iti ga, gha, cha, cihnitapustakatrayapāṭhaḥ saṃśrita iti ga, gha, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ lakṣmaṇaḥ sa guho rātrau cakraturjāgaraṃ hi tau sumantraṃ sarathaṃ tyaktvā prātar nāvātha jāhnavīṃ
“‘Ngươi không phải là (vợ) của ta’”—đó là cách đọc của bản truyền chép có ba ký hiệu (ga, gha, cha); còn “saṃśrita (đã nương tựa)”—là cách đọc của bản có hai ký hiệu (ga, gha). Lakṣmaṇa và Guha thức canh suốt đêm; đến rạng sáng, để Sumantra cùng cỗ xe lại, rồi họ vượt sông Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) bằng thuyền.
Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Shows textual criticism within Purāṇic transmission (variant readings) and narrates the practical logistics of exile: night vigil, leaving the chariot, and crossing the Gaṅgā by boat.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Recensional variants and the Gaṅgā-crossing logistics (jāgara, chariot left, boat crossing)","lookup_keywords":["pāṭhabheda","ga gha cha recension","Lakṣmaṇa Guha vigil","Sumantra chariot left","Jāhnavī boat crossing"],"quick_summary":"The verse preserves variant manuscript readings and then narrates Lakṣmaṇa and Guha’s night vigil, the abandonment of the chariot with Sumantra, and the dawn crossing of the Gaṅgā by boat."}
Alamkara Type: Patha-bheda note (textual apparatus rather than ornament); narrative parataxis
Concept: Jāgara (wakeful vigilance) as protective discipline during liminal travel; also fidelity to truth in textual transmission (acknowledging variants).
Application: Maintain vigilance and orderly logistics in travel; in scholarship, record variants transparently rather than forcing a single reading.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Ramayana-Upakhyana (Narrative Episode: Rama’s forest-departure sequence)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Night on the riverbank: Lakṣmaṇa and Guha keep watch; at dawn they leave Sumantra with the chariot and cross the Gaṅgā in a boat.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, nocturnal riverbank with deep tones, Lakṣmaṇa and Guha seated alert with bows implied but not emphasized, dawn light emerging, boat on Gaṅgā, Sumantra beside chariot in the background, stylized waves and lotuses","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, split scene: night vigil and dawn crossing, gold highlights on river border and boat ornaments, figures with expressive eyes, chariot rendered ornamentally, sacred river aura","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional clarity: chariot left behind with Sumantra, boat boarding sequence, gentle dawn sky, fine linework and soft colors, readable narrative staging","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed river crossing with boatmen, shimmering water, chariot and horses on bank, figures in profile, atmospheric dawn, meticulous landscape"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Verse contains critical apparatus text (‘na tvaṃ bhāryā…’, ‘saṃśrita…’) which is not part of the running pāṭha; analysis given for the main narrative segment: lakṣmaṇaḥ sa guhaḥ… jāhnavīm. cakraturjāgaram = cakratuḥ jāgaram; nāvātha = nāvā atha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 6.32 (Śṛṅgaverapura); Agni Purana 6.34 (Prayāga onward)
FAQs
No ritual or technical vidyā is taught here; it is narrative detail describing a night-long vigil and a dawn river-crossing, with a note of manuscript variant readings.
It demonstrates the Purana’s encyclopedic scope by embedding Itihāsa/Rāmāyaṇa narration alongside philological awareness (variant readings), showing that the text preserves both story tradition and transmission history.
The passage implicitly valorizes vigilance, companionship in dharmic hardship, and the sacred geography of crossing the Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī), a river traditionally associated with purification and merit.