Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 8
पाण्डवचरितवर्णनम्
The Account of the Pāṇḍavas
पुनस्तच्छापतो नीता गोपालैर् लगुडायुधैः अर्जुनं हि तिरस्कृत्य पार्थः शोकञ्चकार ह
punastacchāpato nītā gopālair laguḍāyudhaiḥ arjunaṃ hi tiraskṛtya pārthaḥ śokañcakāra ha
继而又因那诅咒，他被持棍（laguḍa）之牧牛人（gopāla）所辱而陷于羞辱；阿周那——普利塔之子——既遭轻慢，遂生深切哀恸。
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) addressing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Illustrates the decline of heroic efficacy when divine support withdraws and when curse/kāla operates; used to teach humility and the limits of mere prowess, and (secondarily) the reality of irregular warfare by non-elite fighters.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Arjuna’s Humiliation by Gopālas with Clubs under the Force of a Curse","lookup_keywords":["Arjuna","gopāla","laguḍa","śāpa","humiliation"],"quick_summary":"Due to the operative curse, Arjuna is overpowered/insulted by cowherds wielding clubs, leading to grief—signaling the ebb of extraordinary protection and the turning of time after Krishna’s departure."}
Weapon Type: Mace/club (laguḍa)
Concept: When kāla/śāpa ripens, even the mighty face reversal; ego based on past victories collapses without divine alignment.
Application: Practice humility and resilience; do not presume permanence of capability or status—prepare ethically and mentally for reversals.
Khanda Section: Itihasa-Puranic Narrative (Avatara/Itihasa-katha: Arjuna episode)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A band of cowherds armed with clubs confront and overpower/insult Arjuna; Arjuna appears shocked and grieving, signaling a dramatic reversal of heroic stature.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic confrontation—gopālas with raised wooden clubs, Arjuna in warrior attire but subdued; expressive eyes, strong outlines, earthy background, mood of tragic reversal.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Arjuna central with diminished posture, gopālas surrounding with clubs; gold detailing on Arjuna’s ornaments contrasted with rustic attackers; dramatic devotional-narrative framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear action scene with readable gestures—clubs, defensive stance, aftermath with Arjuna seated in grief; fine lines and soft shading to emphasize emotion.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: crowded skirmish with detailed costumes—rustic cowherds vs. princely Arjuna; expressive faces, dust and motion lines, concluding vignette of Arjuna’s sorrow."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुनस्तच्छापतो = पुनः + तत्-शापतः; गोपालैर् = गोपालैः; लगुडायुधैः = लगुड-आयुधैः; शोकञ्चकार = शोकम् + चकार.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: concluding Krishna/Yādava cycle; Agni Purana: any Dhanurveda/weapon lists where clubs are mentioned (contextual)
FAQs
This verse is primarily narrative rather than ritual-technical; it conveys the applied doctrine of śāpa-phala (the operative result of a curse) and how karmic forces can manifest as social defeat and humiliation.
Alongside ritual, law, and sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves itihāsa-style moral history: here it demonstrates karmic causality and ethical instruction through a famous hero’s reversal, adding didactic narrative to its encyclopedic range.
It highlights that even the mighty can be overpowered when bound by śāpa (curse) and prior karma; the spiritual takeaway is humility and vigilance in dharma, since dishonor and sorrow can arise from unseen moral causes.