Agni Purana (Ved Vyasa)
The Agni Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas, attributed to Vyasa. It covers a broad range of topics including cosmology, genealogy of gods, legends, ritual procedures, military strategy, grammar, law, medicine, etc.
- Agni Purana is one of the 18 Mahapuranas, narrated by Agni (Fire deity) to sage Vasishtha.
- It contains approximately 15,400 verses across 383 chapters.
- Classified as a Tamas Purana with primary focus on Lord Shiva, though it covers all major deities.
- Encyclopedic in nature — covers cosmology, geography, military science, medicine, poetics, and grammar.
- Includes detailed descriptions of temple architecture (Vastu), iconography, and rituals.
- Contains the Rama and Krishna stories, making it a valuable Puranic summary.
- Unique for its coverage of Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, and statecraft (Arthashastra concepts).
- Traditionally attributed to Maharishi Veda Vyasa.
Structural Organization
Example: Agni Purana, Chapter 1, Verse 1
Key Topics Covered
Important Deities
Famous Stories & Episodes
Featured Shlokas
+ Add ShlokaThe Nine Planets — Navagraha
Agni Purana · Chapter 1 · Verse 121.1
आदित्यः सोमः मङ्गलश्च बुधश्चापि बृहस्पतिः। शुक्रः शनिश्च राहुश्च केतुश्चेति नवग्रहाः॥
ādityaḥ somaḥ maṅgalaś ca budhaś cāpi bṛhaspatiḥ śukraḥ śaniś ca rāhuś ca ketuś ceti nava-grahāḥ
Aditya (Sun), Soma (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Shukra (Venus), Shani (Saturn), Rahu and Ketu — these are the nine planets (Navagraha).
Opening — Agni Narrates to Vasishtha
Agni Purana · Chapter 1 · Verse 1.3
अग्निरुवाच: शृणु वसिष्ठ वक्ष्यामि पुराणं सर्वसम्मतम्। यदुक्तं ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं तत्सर्वं वर्ण्यते मया॥
agniḥ uvāca: śṛṇu vasiṣṭha vakṣyāmi purāṇaṁ sarva-sammatam yad uktaṁ brahmaṇā pūrvaṁ tat sarvaṁ varṇyate mayā
Agni said: "Listen, Vasiṣṭha; I will relate the Purāṇa accepted by all. Whatever Brahmā spoke in the beginning, I shall describe all of it."
The Ten Avatars — Dashavatar Listed
Agni Purana · Chapter 1 · Verse 49.8
मत्स्यः कूर्मो वराहश्च नृसिंहश्चाथ वामनः। रामो रामश्च कृष्णश्च बुद्धः कल्किश्च ते दश॥
matsyaḥ kūrmo varāhaś ca nṛsiṁhaś cātha vāmanaḥ rāmo rāmaś ca kṛṣṇaś ca buddhaḥ kalkiś ca te daśa
Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Nrisimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki — these ten are the avatars (dashavatara) of Vishnu.
Description of Rama — From the Agni Purana Ramayana
Agni Purana · Chapter 1 · Verse 5.12
रामं लक्ष्मणपूर्वजं रघुवरं सीताप्रियं सुन्दरं काकुत्स्थं करुणार्णवं गुणनिधिं विप्रप्रियं धार्मिकम्। राजेन्द्रं सत्यसंधं दशरथनयं श्यामलं शान्तमूर्तिं वन्दे लोकाभिरामं रघुकुलतिलकं राघवं रामचन्द्रम्॥
rāmaṁ lakṣmaṇa-pūrvajaṁ raghu-varaṁ sītā-priyaṁ sundaram kākutsthaṁ karuṇārṇavaṁ guṇa-nidhiṁ vipra-priyaṁ dhārmikam rājendraṁ satya-sandhaṁ daśaratha-nayaṁ śyāmalaṁ śānta-mūrtiṁ vande lokābhirāmaṁ raghu-kula-tilakaṁ rāghavaṁ rāmacandram
I bow to Rāmacandra — elder to Lakṣmana, best of the Raghus, beloved of Sītā, beautiful, of the Kakutstha line, an ocean of compassion, a treasury of virtues, dear to brāhmaṇs, righteous, king of kings, steadfast in truth, son of Daśaratha, dark-complexioned, of peaceful form, delightful to the worlds, the ornament of the Raghu clan — Rāghava Rāmacandra.