Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 11
Svāyambhuva-vaṁśa-varṇanam
Description of the Lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu
अङ्गात् सुनीथापत्यं वै वेणमेकं व्यजायत स्थानमुत्तममिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः यदत्र इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः तस्मात् श्लिष्टिञ्च इति ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः श्लिष्टेआराधत्त इति ख, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः उरूरिति ख,ग, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकत्रयपाठः अरक्षकः पापरतः स हतो मुनिभिः कुशैः
aṅgāt sunīthāpatyaṃ vai veṇamekaṃ vyajāyata sthānamuttamamiti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ yadatra iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ tasmāt śliṣṭiñca iti ga, gha, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ śliṣṭeārādhatta iti kha, gha, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ urūriti kha,ga, ṅa, cihnitapustakatrayapāṭhaḥ arakṣakaḥ pāparataḥ sa hato munibhiḥ kuśaiḥ
确由安伽（Aṅga）生出独子维那（Vena），为苏尼塔（Sunīthā）之子。因其不护黎民、沉溺罪业，遂为诸仙以库沙草之刃所诛。
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic history to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Defines moral legitimacy of kingship: a ruler who fails in raksha (protection) and pursues adharma may be removed for public welfare; frames accountability of governance.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Vena as Arakshaka and his slaying by sages","lookup_keywords":["Vena","arakshaka","raja-dharma","kushagra","rishi-nyaya"],"quick_summary":"A king who does not protect subjects and is sin-inclined is deemed unfit; sages execute corrective justice using kuśa-grass as a ritual-legal instrument."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha (implicit contrast)
Concept: Raja’s legitimacy rests on raksha (protection) and dharmic conduct; adharma voids sovereignty.
Application: Governance ethics: prioritize public safety, restrain vice; institutionalize removal of tyrannical/non-protective leadership.
Khanda Section: Puranic Itihasa–Vamsha–Rajadharma (Genealogy and the moral legitimacy of kingship)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Forest hermitage scene: sages confront King Vena; kuśa-grass blades in their hands; Vena’s fall symbolizes removal of adharma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, rishis with matted hair and ochre robes holding sharp kuśa-grass, stern faces, King Vena collapsing, dense forest and ashrama huts, flat bright colors, bold outlines, sacred aura","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure of rishis in gold-embellished halos, kuśa-grass as ritual weapon, Vena subdued at their feet, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, detailed ashrama setting, expressive gestures of sages delivering dharmic judgment, subtle shading, fine linework, calm yet severe composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly king confronted in a woodland pavilion, rishis with kuśa-grass, precise foliage, delicate textiles, narrative realism, restrained palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Primary verse text analyzed: “aṅgāt sunīthā-apatyaṃ vai veṇam ekaṃ vyajāyata … arakṣakaḥ pāpa-rataḥ saḥ hataḥ munibhiḥ kuśaiḥ”. Editorial apparatus phrases in the prompt were excluded from pada analysis.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 18.12-18.15 (Pṛthu’s emergence and rajadharma model)
FAQs
It conveys rājarakṣā as a core element of rājadharma: a king who fails to protect and turns to pāpa is liable to removal; it also alludes to ascetic/ritual potency where kuśa-grass functions as an instrument empowered by tapas.
Alongside ritual and doctrine, the Agni Purāṇa preserves political ethics through dynastic narrative—using genealogy and historical exempla (Vena) to teach governance standards (protection of subjects, legitimacy, and consequences).
The verse frames misrule as adharma with immediate karmic and social consequences: when leadership becomes pāpa-ridden and abandons protection, righteous sages may act to restore dharma, illustrating the primacy of moral order over royal power.