Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 2
Mantra-paribhāṣā (मन्त्रपरिभाषा) — Colophon/Closure
शेषवासुकितक्षाख्याः कर्कटो ऽब्जो महाम्बुजः शङ्खपालश् च कुलिक इत्य् अष्टौनागवर्यकाः
śeṣavāsukitakṣākhyāḥ karkaṭo 'bjo mahāmbujaḥ śaṅkhapālaś ca kulika ity aṣṭaunāgavaryakāḥ
Śeṣa, Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Karkaṭa, Abja, Mahāmbuja, Śaṅkhapāla và Kulika—được tuyên xưng là tám vị Nāga (Long xà vương) tối thượng.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Taxonomic recall of principal Nāga-kings for Purāṇic cosmography, ritual narration, and mythic genealogy indexing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aṣṭa Nāgavarya (Eight Foremost Serpent-Kings)","lookup_keywords":["Aṣṭa-nāga","Śeṣa","Vāsuki","Takṣaka","Śaṅkhapāla"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates the canonical eight Nāga-kings used as a standard cosmological roster. Useful as a mnemonic list for Purāṇic geography (Nāga-loka) and mythic lineages."}
Concept: Cosmic classification (nāma–rūpa ordering) as a means to comprehend layered worlds and beings.
Application: Use as a structured roster for teaching cosmology, recitation, and organizing related narratives (e.g., churning, Garuḍa–Nāga motifs).
Khanda Section: Cosmology & Mythic Zoology (Nāga-loka / Serpent Kings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Cosmic-Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal assembly of eight regal serpent-kings named in order, each distinct in hood, jewel, and posture, set in a jeweled Nāga-loka court.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet ornate palette, eight Nāga-kings in a semicircle with multi-hooded hoods, jeweled crowns, lotus motifs, Nāga-loka cavern with gem glow, crisp linework, sacred symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central jeweled Nāga throne with Śeṣa prominent, gold leaf halos and embossed ornaments, the other seven Nāgas flanking, rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry, stylized lotuses.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate shading, labeled figures (Śeṣa, Vāsuki, Takṣaka etc.), refined courtly arrangement, soft background of Pātāla gems, emphasis on clarity and didactic identification.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene in an underground jeweled hall, eight serpent-kings with individualized patterns and regalia, fine borders, naturalistic faces, meticulous ornament rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: karkaṭo 'bjo = karkaṭaḥ + abjaḥ; śaṅkhapālaś ca = śaṅkhapālaḥ + ca; ity = iti; aṣṭaunāga- = aṣṭau + nāga-.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: cosmology/pātāla-nirūpaṇa sections; nāga-varṇana sequences in the same khanda
FAQs
It transmits nāga-nāma-jñāna—an authoritative list of the eight foremost Nāga kings used for identification in Purāṇic cosmology and related recitational contexts.
By preserving a standardized catalogue of mythic entities (Nāgas), the text functions as a reference compendium—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic features alongside its many other subject-lists.
Remembering and reciting revered names within Purāṇic traditions is commonly treated as smṛti-based merit (puṇya) and as cultivating sacred awareness of the cosmic order in which such beings are situated.