Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 22
Chapter 381 — यमगीता
Yama-gītā
बुद्धिन्तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च इन्द्रयाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांश्चेषुगोचरान्
buddhintu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca indrayāṇi hayānāhurviṣayāṃśceṣugocarān
اعلم أن البُدْهي (buddhi، العقل المميِّز) هو السائق، وأن المَنَس (manas، الذهن) هو اللِّجام حقًّا. وتُسمّى الحواس خيولًا، وتُعدّ موضوعات الحسّ ميادين حركتها ومجالات جَوَلانها.
Lord Agni (teaching in the Agni Purana’s didactic narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"Use the chariot metaphor as a daily self-audit: keep buddhi (discernment) in command, manas as controlled reins, and regulate indriyas so they do not run toward their viṣayas unchecked.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ratha-dṛṣṭānta: Buddhi–Manas–Indriya–Viṣaya Mapping","lookup_keywords":["ratha-drstanta","buddhi sarathi","manas pragraha","indriya haya","visaya gocara"],"quick_summary":"Defines the inner instrument via the chariot allegory: intellect guides, mind restrains, senses move, and objects are their grazing-fields. Practical takeaway: mastery begins with rein-like mind-control under discriminative intellect."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (extended metaphor/allegory)
Concept: Antaḥkaraṇa–indriya governance: buddhi should direct, manas should restrain, senses should be harnessed, and viṣayas are the arena of temptation.
Application: Practice pratyāhāra and dhāraṇā: before acting, pause and let buddhi decide; use manas to ‘hold the reins’ by limiting sensory inputs.
Khanda Section: Adhyatma / Yoga (Antahkarana–Indriya allegory; chariot metaphor)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A chariot allegory: buddhi as the charioteer holding the reins (manas), driving horses (senses) toward various landscapes (sense-objects).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vivid colors, ornate borders; a serene charioteer labeled Buddhi guiding a chariot, reins labeled Manas, five horses labeled Indriyas, lush fields and objects as Viṣayas; calm śānta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights; symbolic chariot scene with embossed ornaments, Buddhi as regal charioteer, Manas as jeweled reins, horses as stylized indriyas, viṣaya-fields rendered as icon-like panels; devotional-didactic composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading; instructional diagram-like chariot with clear labels for buddhi/manas/indriya/viṣaya, balanced composition, minimal background for clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detailing and naturalistic horses; a philosopher-charioteer controlling spirited horses moving toward marketplaces and gardens (sense-objects), with calligraphic labels and subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बुद्धिन्+तु→बुद्धिं तु; प्रग्रहम्+एव→प्रग्रहमेव; हयान्+आहुः→हयानाहुः; विषयान्+च→विषयांश्च; इषु+गोचरान्→इषुगोचरान् (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 381 (Adhyatma/Yoga section on indriya-nigraha and moksha)
FAQs
It imparts adhyatmic-yogic knowledge: the functional mapping of buddhi (discrimination) as controller, manas as the regulating reins, and indriyas as instruments that must be governed to prevent uncontrolled pursuit of viṣayas (sense-objects).
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves classical psychological–yogic models (antahkaraṇa and indriya theory). This verse is a compact doctrinal unit usable for ethics, meditation practice, and self-discipline—showing the text’s wide, encyclopedic scope.
By placing buddhi in command and restraining the senses through the mind, one reduces desire-driven action and its karmic entanglements, supporting inner purity, steadiness in dharma, and progress toward liberation-oriented self-knowledge.