Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Chapter 376 — ब्रह्मज्ञानम्
Knowledge of Brahman
न सन्नासन्न सदसदेतत्सावयवं न तत् निर्गतावयवं नेति नाभिन्नं भिन्नमेव च
na sannāsanna sadasadetatsāvayavaṃ na tat nirgatāvayavaṃ neti nābhinnaṃ bhinnameva ca
هذه الحقيقة ليست موجودة ولا غير موجودة؛ ولا يمكن وصفها بأنها وجودٌ ولا وجودٌ معًا. ليست ذاتَ أجزاء، وليست كلًّا متكوّنًا من أجزاء. ويُعبَّر عنها بقول «ليس هذا» (neti)؛ فهي ليست غيرَ منقسمة، ومع ذلك لا تتمايز إلا بوصفها مظاهرَ عارضة.
Lord Agni (teaching Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Use apophatic reasoning (neti) to avoid reifying Brahman as a thing; supports meditation that drops conceptual extremes (sat/asat, part/whole).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Anirvacanīyatā of Reality (Neither Sat nor Asat; Neti)","lookup_keywords":["sat-asat","anirvacanīya","neti-neti","niravayava","vivarta"],"quick_summary":"Ultimate Reality cannot be fixed as existent, non-existent, both, partite, or a whole made of parts; it is indicated by negation ('not this') while appearances show differentiation."}
Alamkara Type: Vyatireka (via negation/contrast)
Concept: Brahman is anirvacanīya: beyond categories of being/non-being and part/whole; 'neti' removes false predicates while acknowledging apparent differentiation.
Application: In contemplation, negate successive conceptual labels (existence, nonexistence, unity, plurality) and rest as awareness prior to predicates.
Khanda Section: Darshana (Vedanta / Tattva-nirupana)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, formless luminous field with labels being crossed out—'sat', 'asat', 'parts', 'whole'—leaving only silent radiance; faint differentiated forms appear like mirage at the edges.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central blank-gold aura with dark outline, surrounding Sanskrit words 'sat', 'asat', 'sad-asat', 'avayava' painted then struck through, peripheral mirage-like figures dissolving into the aura, austere sacred palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, heavy gold leaf background representing the indescribable, embossed crossed-out cartouches for conceptual categories, minimal iconography, emphasis on radiant emptiness with ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, pedagogic visual: a sequence of panels each negating a concept with 'neti', culminating in an unpainted central space framed by delicate ornament, soft colors and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, philosophical allegory: scholars pointing to a luminous blank parchment while words are gently erased; fine architectural setting, subdued palette, emphasis on the empty luminous center"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सन्नासन्न = सत् + न + असत् (sandhi/phonetic coalescence in recitation); सादसदेतत् = सत् + असत् + एतत्; एतत्सावयवम् = एतत् + स-अवयवम्; नेति = न + इति; नाभिन्नं = न + अभिन्नम्; भिन्नमेव = भिन्नम् + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 376 (tattva-nirūpaṇa; neti method)
FAQs
It imparts jnana-vidya (Vedantic discernment): the method of negating all limiting predicates—existence/non-existence, part/whole—through “neti” to indicate Brahman beyond conceptual categories.
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves darshana: this verse exemplifies its inclusion of rigorous metaphysical analysis (sat/asat, avayava/avayavin), showing the text’s breadth as a compendium of knowledge.
Contemplating Reality as “neti” weakens attachment to names and forms, supports dispassion (vairagya), and aids liberation-oriented insight (moksha-jñana) rather than merit from external action alone.