Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 4
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
अनावृष्टिरतीवोग्रा जायते शतवार्षिकी ततः सत्त्वक्षयः स्याच्च ततो विष्णुर्जगत्पतिः
anāvṛṣṭiratīvogrā jāyate śatavārṣikī tataḥ sattvakṣayaḥ syācca tato viṣṇurjagatpatiḥ
极其可怖的无雨之灾延续百年；由此众生的生机衰竭——继而毗湿奴（Viṣṇu），世间之主，（引发宇宙下一阶段的转变）。
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Recognize pralaya-portents (drought, decline of vitality) and their ethical/spiritual implication—turning toward dharma and Vishnu as cosmic regulator.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pralaya-portents: Hundred-year Drought and Sattva-kṣaya","lookup_keywords":["anāvṛṣṭi","śata-varṣa","sattva-kṣaya","kali-anta","viṣṇu jagatpati"],"quick_summary":"A prolonged drought for a hundred years causes depletion of living vitality; this signals the turning of the cosmic cycle under Viṣṇu’s lordship."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Worldly supports (rain, vitality) are contingent; divine order governs cycles beyond human control.
Application: In crisis, intensify dharmic conduct, charity, and devotion; cultivate equanimity toward inevitable large-scale change.
Khanda Section: Eschatology (Pralaya-lakshana / Kali-yuga-anta-dharma)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Cosmic-Region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A parched world under a relentless sky: cracked earth, withered crops, weakened beings; above, Viṣṇu appears as the cosmic lord preparing the next turn of time.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic drought scene with cracked ground, dry riverbeds, gaunt cattle and people; sky painted in heavy ochres; upper corner shows Viṣṇu with blue body and golden ornaments, calm and sovereign, indicating cosmic governance; bold outlines and stylized flora.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Viṣṇu as Jagatpati with gold halo; lower panel shows drought—withered fields, empty clouds—rendered in rich colors; heavy gold embossing on Viṣṇu’s ornaments and frame to contrast the barren earth.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, narrative clarity: foreground drought and weakened beings; background a subtle divine apparition of Viṣṇu; fine linework, gentle shading, emphasis on moral-cosmic lesson rather than spectacle.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape of famine: cracked soil, sparse trees, villagers carrying empty pots; in the sky a luminous Viṣṇu vision in a cloud medallion; delicate brushwork and restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: anāvṛṣṭiratīvogrā→an-āvṛṣṭiḥ atīva-ugrā; syācca→syāt ca; viṣṇurjagatpatiḥ→viṣṇuḥ jagat-patiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367.5 (sun’s rays drinking waters as mechanism behind drought); Agni Purana: Vishnu-centric stotras and dharma sections that frame Viṣṇu as protector/regulator
FAQs
It imparts pralaya-lakṣaṇa (eschatological diagnostics): a prolonged, extreme drought is given as a key sign indicating systemic depletion of life-sustaining vitality before the next cosmic transition under Viṣṇu.
Alongside ritual and practical disciplines, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves cosmology and end-of-age markers; this verse functions like a concise ‘cosmic climatology’ and theological frame linking environmental collapse to yuga-ending doctrine.
It frames catastrophic drought and resulting decline as part of a larger moral-cosmic cycle, encouraging detachment and dharma-oriented living by reminding that worldly stability is contingent and ultimately governed by the Lord (Viṣṇu).