Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
Chapter 17 — सृष्टिविषयकवर्णनम्
An Account Concerning Creation
आठस्तु महाभारतीयहरिवंशपर्वण उद्धृत इति अध्यवसीयते उभयत्र क्रमेण पाठसाम्यात् तासु बीजमथासृजदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हिरण्यगर्भमभवदिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हिरण्यवर्ण इति ग, चिह्नित्गपुस्तकपाठः ससर्ज सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां स्रष्टुमिच्छन् प्रजापतिः विद्युतोशनिमेघांश् च रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि च
āṭhastu mahābhāratīyaharivaṃśaparvaṇa uddhṛta iti adhyavasīyate ubhayatra krameṇa pāṭhasāmyāt tāsu bījamathāsṛjaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hiraṇyagarbhamabhavaditi kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hiraṇyavarṇa iti ga, cihnitgapustakapāṭhaḥ sasarja sṛṣṭintadrūpāṃ sraṣṭumicchan prajāpatiḥ vidyutośanimeghāṃś ca rohitendradhanūṃṣi ca
据判定，此处读法引自《摩诃婆罗多》之《哈利वं沙》(Harivaṃśa)篇，因为两处文本的次第相同。（并记异读：）“于是他将种子投于其中”——见于所标注之抄本；“他成为金胎/金胚 Hiraṇyagarbha”——亦见于所标注之抄本；“金色者”——见于另一所标注之抄本。为欲创生，生主 Prajāpati 依其形相而造化：电光、金刚雷霆（vajra）、云聚，以及因陀罗 Indra 赤焰般的虹霓。
Lord Agni (narrative voice of the Agni Purana; with embedded redactional/critical-note style variants)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Cosmogonic contemplation used in Purana-recitation, yajna-context framing, and teaching the doctrine of Hiranyagarbha/Prajapati as the creative principle behind meteorological and luminous phenomena.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Hiraṇyagarbha–Prajāpati Sṛṣṭi and Meteoric Forms (vidyut-aśani-megha-indradhanuḥ)","lookup_keywords":["Hiranyagarbha","Prajapati","vidyut","aśani","indradhanuḥ"],"quick_summary":"The passage links Prajāpati’s creative will with the emergence of luminous and atmospheric forms—lightning, thunderbolt, clouds, and Indra’s rainbow—framing them as first-order manifestations of sṛṣṭi."}
Concept: Hiraṇyagarbha/Prajāpati as the intentional cause (saṅkalpa) of manifest forms; sṛṣṭi as transformation into name-and-form including natural phenomena.
Application: Meditative reflection on causality: seeing natural forces as ordered manifestations, supporting śraddhā and a contemplative worldview during ritual/recitation.
Khanda Section: Cosmogony / Sarga (Creation narrative; Hiranyagarbha–Prajapati doctrine)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Prajāpati/Hiraṇyagarbha as a radiant golden cosmic source, emitting lightning forks, thunderbolt flashes, rolling monsoon clouds, and a red-tinged rainbow arc of Indra across a primordial sky.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet rich colors, Prajāpati as golden radiant figure within a cosmic oval (hiraṇyagarbha), stylized blue-black clouds, white lightning, Indra’s red rainbow band, sacred aura, traditional ornamentation, minimal perspective.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central golden Hiraṇyagarbha/Prajāpati with heavy gold leaf halo and embossed ornaments, dramatic cloud motifs, lightning and thunderbolt rendered as gilded streaks, rainbow arc with jewel tones, devotional symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, soft shading, instructional cosmic diagram feel: Prajāpati at center, labeled emanations (cloud, lightning, rainbow) as emanating bands, restrained palette with gold highlights.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing and atmospheric sky, swirling clouds, sharp lightning, a red rainbow arc, Prajāpati depicted as luminous ascetic-creator with subtle halo, intricate borders, naturalistic cloud textures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Megh Malhar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Focused on the metrical verse portion: “ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां स्रष्टुम् इच्छन् प्रजापतिः विद्युतः उशनिम् मेघान् च रोहित-इन्द्रधनूंषि च”. Sandhi resolved: सृष्टिन्तद्रूपां→सृष्टिम् तद्रूपाम्; स्रष्टुमिच्छन्→स्रष्टुम् इच्छन्; विद्युतोशनिमेघांश्च→विद्युतः उशनिम् मेघान् च; रोहितेन्द्रधनूंषि→रोहित-इन्द्रधनूंषि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sarga-prakarana passages on Hiraṇyagarbha and Prajāpati; Agni Purana sections narrating Brahmā’s creation and elemental emergence
FAQs
It conveys cosmogonic doctrine: Prajāpati/Hiraṇyagarbha initiates manifestation through a ‘seed’ (bīja) and produces atmospheric phenomena (lightning, thunderbolt, clouds, rainbow), a conceptual ‘science of creation’ rather than a ritual manual.
Alongside theology, it preserves intertextual scholarship: it explicitly links the passage to the Mahābhārata’s Harivaṃśa and records manuscript variants—showing the Purana as a repository of cosmology plus textual tradition and comparative transmission.
By framing natural forces as expressions of Prajāpati’s creative will, it supports a devotional worldview where contemplating creation (sarga) nurtures reverence for divine order (ṛta/dharma) and encourages inward purification through cosmic remembrance.