Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 6
Somavaṃśa-saṃkṣepaḥ
Conclusion of the Lunar Dynasty Description
अधर्मे वर्तमानस्य विष्णुहस्तान्मृतिर्ध्रुवा दश यज्ञसहस्राणि सो ऽर्जुनः कृतवान्नृपाः
adharme vartamānasya viṣṇuhastānmṛtirdhruvā daśa yajñasahasrāṇi so 'rjunaḥ kṛtavānnṛpāḥ
凡执著于非法（adharma）而不改者，必定死于毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）之手。那位阿周那，诸王啊，曾举行一万次祭祀（yajña）。
Lord Agni (narrating purāṇic instruction on rāja-nīti/dharma to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Kingship ethics: warning that persistent adharma leads to inevitable destruction; encourages rulers to align policy and conduct with dharma despite ritual prowess.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Aharma-niṣṭha’s Inevitable Death; Arjuna’s Ten Thousand Sacrifices","lookup_keywords":["adharma","Viṣṇu-hasta","mṛtyu","daśa-yajña-sahasra","rājadharma"],"quick_summary":"Ritual magnitude (many yajñas) cannot shield one who persists in adharma; divine retribution is certain. The verse juxtaposes piety-by-ritual with the necessity of righteous conduct."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha
Concept: Adharma-niṣṭhā leads to niyati-like certainty of downfall; ritual acts are subordinate to ethical alignment.
Application: For leaders: audit governance for injustice; do not use ritual/charity as cover for exploitation; prioritize protection of subjects and restraint.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma / Nīti-śāstra (Dharma–Adharma and Kingship Ethics)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king performing vast yajñas with many altars and priests, while above/behind looms Viṣṇu’s decisive hand symbolizing inevitable punishment for adharma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, layered scene: sacrificial arena with fire altars, priests chanting; upper register shows Viṣṇu with raised hand, stern dharma-protecting gaze, strong reds and blacks.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted yajña-kuṇḍas and ornaments, Viṣṇu with luminous halo and emphasized hand gesture, symmetrical ceremonial composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear didactic split-panel: left yajña abundance, right moral consequence with Viṣṇu’s presence; fine lines and soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed yajña pavilion with many priests, smoke curling; a symbolic divine hand or Viṣṇu apparition in the sky, refined architectural perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णुहस्तात् + मृतिः → विष्णुहस्तान्मृतिः; मृतिः + ध्रुवा → मृतिर्ध्रुवा; सः + अर्जुनः → सोऽर्जुनः; कृतवान् + नृपाः → कृतवान्नृपाः
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma/Nīti sections (general kingship ethics); Agni Purana: Yajña and dāna discussions in other didactic chapters (contextual parallels)
FAQs
It states a rāja-nīti principle: persistence in adharma leads to inevitable destruction (personified as Viṣṇu’s agency), and it references the ritual benchmark of great merit through large-scale yajña performance (ten thousand sacrifices).
It juxtaposes governance ethics (dharma/adharma and punishment) with ritual economy (yajña counts as a measure of merit), showing how the Agni Purana integrates law-and-order, theology (Viṣṇu as cosmic enforcer), and sacrificial culture within a single instructional stream.
The verse teaches that adharma brings unavoidable karmic fruition—described as death by divine agency—while sustained dharmic action, exemplified through massive yajña, is presented as a paradigm of accumulated religious merit.