Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 21
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च इन्द्रयाणि देशैकञ्च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः
mahābhūtānyahaṅkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca indrayāṇi deśaikañca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ
العناصر العظمى (mahābhūta)، ومبدأ الأنا (ahaṅkāra)، والعقل المميِّز (buddhi)، وكذلك غير المتجلّي (avyakta—Prakṛti)؛ والحواس، والفضاء الواحد الشامل (ākāśa)؛ وخمسة موضوعات الحواس—كل ذلك قد عُدِّد.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Use the tattva-enumeration to map experience (elements, mind, senses, objects) and cultivate detachment by seeing all as prakṛti’s evolutes.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāṅkhya Tattvas: Bhūtas, Ahaṅkāra, Buddhi, Avyakta, Indriyas, Ākāśa, Viṣayas","lookup_keywords":["mahābhūta","ahaṅkāra","buddhi","avyakta","indriya-viṣaya"],"quick_summary":"Reality as experienced is analyzed into prakṛti (avyakta) and its evolutes: intellect, ego, elements, senses, and sense-objects. This inventory supports discrimination and meditation."}
Concept: Sāṅkhya-style categorization of the constituents of experience: unmanifest prakṛti and manifest evolutes (buddhi, ahaṅkāra, elements, senses, and objects).
Application: In meditation, note each perception as ‘viṣaya’ grasped by an ‘indriya’ with mind/ego coloring; trace back to prakṛti to weaken identification and reactive craving.
Khanda Section: Sāṅkhya–Yoga / Tattva-nirūpaṇa (Cosmology and Categories of Reality)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmological chart: avyakta at the top unfolding into buddhi and ahaṅkāra, then branching into elements, senses, and sense-objects; a meditating figure observes the flow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with a stylized tattva-tree: avyakta as a dark lotus, buddhi and ahaṅkāra as branching nodes, five elements as colored petals, senses and objects as paired motifs; traditional flat composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central meditating yogin with a gold-embossed ‘tattva-maṇḍala’ around—five elements in jewel tones, buddhi/ahaṅkāra as inner rings; ornate gold borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate: clean labeled diagram of tattvas with elegant floral separators; soft washes, fine outlines, readable structure for teaching.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: a scholar draws a cosmological schema on paper for students; meticulous geometric layout, delicate pigments, calligraphic labels for bhūtas/indriyas/viṣayas."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महाभूतानि अहङ्कारः → महाभूतान्यहङ्कारो; बुद्धिः अव्यक्तम् → बुद्धिरव्यक्तम्; देशः एकम् च → देशैकं च; पञ्च च इन्द्रियगोचराः → पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 380.22 (kṣetra as modifications)
FAQs
It imparts Sāṅkhya-tattva vidyā: the technical listing of core principles—mahābhūtas, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, avyakta, indriyas, and the five sense-objects—used for analysis of experience and meditation.
By incorporating Sāṅkhya-style ontology (tattva-saṅkhyā), the Agni Purana functions as a compendium that preserves not only ritual and dharma topics but also systematic philosophical frameworks used across Yoga, Vedānta discussions, and Purāṇic cosmology.
Discriminating these categories supports viveka (discernment) between the seer and the seen; such clarity reduces attachment to sensory fields and aids liberation-oriented practice (mokṣa-sādhana).