Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 20
Chapter 12 — श्रीहरिवंशवर्णनं (Śrī-Harivaṃśa-varṇana) | The Description of the Sacred Harivaṃśa
अरिष्टवृषभं हत्वा केशिनं हयरूपिणम् शक्रोत्सवं परित्यज्य कारितो गोत्रयज्ञकः
ariṣṭavṛṣabhaṃ hatvā keśinaṃ hayarūpiṇam śakrotsavaṃ parityajya kārito gotrayajñakaḥ
在诛杀阿里什塔（牛形魔）与化作马形的凯辛之后，又搁置了为释迦罗（因陀罗）所设的庆典，他令举行“氏族祭”（gotra-yajña），即对戈瓦尔达那与祖系宗族的供奉祭祀。
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Model for prioritizing local dharma (go-seva, kula/gotra duties) over fear-based ritualism; illustrates how communal worship can be redirected toward sustainable livelihood and protection.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Ariṣṭa- and Keśin-vadha; Indrotsava-tyāga and Govardhana/Gotra-yajña","lookup_keywords":["Ariṣṭa-vadha","Keśin-vadha","Indrotsava","Govardhana-yajña","gotra-yajña"],"quick_summary":"Kṛṣṇa removes immediate threats (Ariṣṭa, Keśin) and redirects worship from Indra’s festival to a gotra/Govardhana-centered sacrifice, teaching dharma rooted in one’s community and livelihood."}
Concept: Svadharma and loka-saṅgraha: honoring the sustaining ecology/community (go, gopa, govardhana) over appeasing a fearful deity-cult.
Application: Community rituals can be oriented toward gratitude for local resources and ethical livelihood rather than status or fear; leadership may reform harmful or misdirected customs.
Khanda Section: Avataras and Krishna-Charita (Puranic Narrative Section)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Sacred region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Kṛṣṇa after slaying Ariṣṭa (bull demon) and Keśin (horse demon), instructing the Vraja community to set aside Indra’s festival and perform a gotra/Govardhana-centered sacrifice with offerings and cowherds gathered.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Kṛṣṇa in Vraja with cowherds and cows, remnants of a defeated bull and horse demon at the margins, elders arranging offerings for Govardhana/gotra-yajña, rich earthy reds and greens, stylized faces and ornaments, sacred rural setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Kṛṣṇa with ornate jewelry and halo, cowherds presenting offerings for Govardhana worship, Indra’s festival paraphernalia set aside, gold leaf highlights on ornaments and ritual vessels, symmetrical devotional composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative panel showing Kṛṣṇa advising Nanda and gopas, small vignettes of Ariṣṭa and Keśin slain, detailed linework on ritual items and cows, soft palette and refined expressions.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pastoral Vraja courtly realism, Kṛṣṇa addressing villagers, attendants preparing a communal sacrifice, defeated bull and horse demon depicted with dynamic motion, fine textile detail and landscape depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ariṣṭavṛṣabham = ariṣṭa-vṛṣabham; hayarūpiṇam = haya-rūpiṇam; śakrotsavam = śakra-utsavam; gotrayajñakaḥ = gotra-yajñakaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Krishna-Charita sections on Govardhana episode and Indra’s pride (nearby verses 12.21); Agni Purana avatara narratives of Kṛṣṇa’s demon-slayings
FAQs
It references a concrete ritual shift: abandoning the Śakra-utsava (Indra-festival sacrifice) and instituting the gotra-yajña (communal/clan-based worship-sacrifice, commonly aligned with the Govardhana rite), emphasizing whom a community directs its offerings toward.
In a single line it combines avatāra narrative (demon-slaying episodes) with applied ritual policy (changing a major festival’s recipient), showing how the Agni Purana interweaves mythic history with practical religious observance and social-religious governance.
The verse highlights dharmic discernment in worship: redirecting sacrifice from a power-deity (Indra) to a locally sustaining sacred focus (gotra/Govardhana), implying protection, gratitude, and right orientation of offerings—seen as producing communal welfare and religious merit.