Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 19
Āgneya-Purāṇa-māhātmya
The Greatness and Self-Testimony of the Agni Purāṇa
प्रवृत्तञ्च निवृत्तञ्च धर्मं विद्याद्वयात्मकं आग्नेयस्य पुराणस्य शास्त्रस्यास्य समं न हि
pravṛttañca nivṛttañca dharmaṃ vidyādvayātmakaṃ āgneyasya purāṇasya śāstrasyāsya samaṃ na hi
ينبغي أن يُعلَم أنّ الدَّرما ذات طبيعةٍ مزدوجة: «برافِرِتّي» (pravṛtti) طريق الانخراط في الفعل، و«نِفِرِتّي» (nivṛtti) طريق الزهد والانصراف. حقًّا لا كتاب يساوي هذا الشاسترا، أي «آغنييا بورانا».
Lord Agni (narrating the Āgneya Purāṇa, traditionally to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guiding ethical life by distinguishing pravṛtti-dharma (worldly duties) and nivṛtti-dharma (renunciatory liberation path), and using the Agni Purāṇa as a comprehensive manual balancing both.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dharma as twofold: Pravṛtti and Nivṛtti (Agni Purāṇa’s self-claim)","lookup_keywords":["pravṛtti-dharma","nivṛtti-dharma","dharma-dvaya","mokṣa-dharma","śāstra-mahattva"],"quick_summary":"Dharma is defined as having two modes—engagement and renunciation. The verse asserts the Agni Purāṇa’s unmatched scope in covering both paths."}
Alamkara Type: Nidarśana (didactic statement)
Concept: Pravṛtti–nivṛtti polarity: dharma includes both sustaining social order and transcending it toward mokṣa; a complete śāstra integrates both without contradiction.
Application: Map one’s life-stage and capacity: follow pravṛtti duties (yajña, dāna, family/social obligations) while cultivating nivṛtti supports (vairāgya, jñāna, bhakti, meditation) progressively.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Moksha-dharma (Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti doctrine; Purāṇic self-description)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic bifurcation: on one side householders performing duties (yajña, dāna, governance), on the other ascetics in meditation; at the center, the Agni Purāṇa manuscript uniting both paths.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split composition with pravṛtti scene (sacrificial fire, charity, family) and nivṛtti scene (forest hermitage, meditating sage), central glowing manuscript, balanced symmetry, serene palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Agni Purāṇa as jeweled book with gold leaf, left panel ritual and charity, right panel renunciant with japa-mālā, ornate arch and halos emphasizing śāstra supremacy","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic diagram-like painting: two labeled paths (pravṛtti/nivṛtti) converging into a central śāstra, clean lines, gentle colors, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly pravṛtti scene (king, charity, ritual) contrasted with a quiet garden/forest nivṛtti scene (sufi-like contemplative aesthetic adapted to rishi), central scholar holding manuscript, fine detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रवृत्तञ्च→प्रवृत्तम् च; निवृत्तञ्च→निवृत्तम् च; विद्याद्वयात्मकं→विद्यात् द्वय-आत्मकम्; शास्त्रस्यास्य→शास्त्रस्य अस्य.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa teachings across vidyās (self-description implied); Agni Purāṇa mokṣa-dharma and vrata/dāna sections (general)
FAQs
It teaches the doctrinal framework that dharma is twofold—pravṛtti (householder-oriented duties such as ritual, social obligation, and righteous action) and nivṛtti (renunciant-oriented withdrawal leading toward liberation).
By explicitly integrating both action-based dharma (ritual/social order) and renunciation-based dharma (mokṣa orientation), it signals that the Āgneya Purāṇa aims to cover the full spectrum of human aims—from worldly regulation to liberation—characteristic of an encyclopedic Purāṇa.
It directs seekers to align their life-stage and capacity with the appropriate dharma: righteous action purifies and orders karma (pravṛtti), while disciplined detachment and renunciation culminate in freedom from bondage (nivṛtti).