16 - Manifestation of Vishnu as Buddha and Kalki:

Agni said:

1. I am describing the manifestation (of Vishnu) as Buddha, by reading and hearing which one gets wealth. Once in the battle between devas and asuras, devas were defeated by the daityas (demons, sons of Diti).

2. They sought refuge in the lord saying, “Protect us! Protect us!". He (Vishnu), who is of the form of illusory delusion became the son of Suddhodana.

3-4. He deluded those demons. Those, who had abandoned the path laid down in the Vedas, became the Bauddhas and from them others who had abandoned the Vedas. He then became the Arhat (Jaina). He then made others as Arhats. Thus the heretics came into being devoid of vedic dharmas.

5-6. They did such a work deserving hell (as reward). They would receive even from the vile. All of them became mixed Dasyus and devoid of good conduct at the end of Kaliyuga. Of the Vajasaneyaka veda (Suklayajurveda) only fifteen sections will be existing.

7. Non-aryans in the form of kings would devour men who wear the costumes of righteousness and have a taste for unrighteous thing.

8-9. Kalki, as the son of Vishnuyasas, (and having) Yåjnavalkya as the priest would destroy the non-Aryans, holding the astra and having a weapon. He would establish moral law in four-fold darnas in the suitable manner. The people (would be) in the path of righteousness in all the stages of life.

10. Hari, after discarding the form of Kalki, would go to heaven. Then would come the Krutayuga as before.

11-13. O Most virtuous person! Men would remain devoted to their respective duties of castes and stages of life. Thus, in all the Kalpas¹ and Manvantaras,² the manifestations (of Vishnu) are innumerable, some already past and some yet to come off. Whoever reads or hears the stories of the manifestations of Vishnu would get all desired things, become pure, and attain heaven along with his race. In this way, Hari settles the righteousness and unrighteousness. Hari is the cause of creation etc. and after manifesting (in different forms) he has returned.

1. Kalpa is a day of Brahmå or thousand (catur) Yugas being a period of 432 million years of mortals and measuring the duration of the world.

2. Manvantara is the age or the period of Manu, being equivalent to 1/14th of a day of Brahmå or 71 calur yugas.

Summary of chapter 16 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:

The sixteenth chapter traces the genealogy of the Solar dynasty (Sūryavaṃśa) from Brahmā through Kaśyapa, Vivasvat (Sūrya), and Manu, down through the great kings who established the foundations of dharmic kingship. Key figures in the lineage — Ikṣvāku, Māndhātā, Sagara, Bhagīratha who brought the Gaṅgā to earth, and ultimately Rāma of the Raghu lineage — are listed in succession. The chapter serves as a genealogical backbone for the Rāmāyaṇa narrative and demonstrates how divine lineage sustains the quality of kingship over successive generations. The virtues and achievements of notable kings in this dynasty are briefly noted, framing kingship itself as a sacred trust inherited from the solar light of Bhagavān.