Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 17
Chapter 373 — ध्यानम्
Dhyāna / Meditation
चिन्तयेद्धृदये पूर्वं क्रमादादौ गुणत्रयं तमः प्रच्छाद्य रजसा सत्त्वेन च्छादयेद्रजः
cintayeddhṛdaye pūrvaṃ kramādādau guṇatrayaṃ tamaḥ pracchādya rajasā sattvena cchādayedrajaḥ
প্ৰথমে হৃদয়ত ক্ৰমে গুণত্রয় ধ্যান কৰিব—তমসক ৰজসৰে আচ্ছাদিত কৰি, তাৰ পিছত ৰজসক সত্ত্বৰে আচ্ছাদিত কৰিব।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga-vidya","practical_application":"Use a stepwise meditation method to refine the mind by moving from tamas to rajas to sattva, cultivating sattvic clarity as a proximate aid to samādhi.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sequential Guṇa-traya Contemplation: Tamas Covered by Rajas, Rajas by Sattva","lookup_keywords":["guṇa-traya","tamas","rajas","sattva","hṛdaya-dhyāna"],"quick_summary":"Meditate in the heart on the three guṇas in sequence, intentionally subduing tamas through rajas and then pacifying rajas through sattva, producing progressive inner clarity."}
Concept: Guṇas are workable layers of mind: tamas is not fought directly but ‘covered’/overcome by activating rajas (effort, discipline), then rajas is calmed by sattva (lucidity), preparing for transcendence.
Application: In practice: (1) counter lethargy with structured effort (posture, breath, focused task), (2) then shift to calming practices (steady breath, gentle attention, non-reactivity), (3) rest in sattvic stillness at the heart-center.
Khanda Section: Yoga and Sankhya (Guṇa-traya contemplation / Tattva-dhyāna)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A heart-centered meditation diagram: three layered veils or waves—dark (tamas) overlaid by red (rajas), then bright white (sattva) settling over red—showing progressive purification within the chest-lotus.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized chest-lotus with three concentric color fields (black, red, white), a yogin seated in profile, traditional decorative borders, symbolic rather than realistic anatomy.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-outlined heart-lotus with three enamel-like layers; central yogin with serene face; gold leaf emphasizing the final sattvic sheen; minimal background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean instructional composition—three translucent layers labeled by color symbolism, arrows indicating sequence; soft palette, fine detailing on the yogin’s posture and breath focus.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: a sage teaching a disciple, pointing to a painted diagram of three colored layers; refined interior setting, delicate brushwork, scholarly atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cintayeddhṛdaye = चिन्तयेत् + हृदये; kramādādau = क्रमात् + आदौ; sattvena cchādayet = सत्त्वेन + छादयेत् (छ्-आगम/संयोग).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: guṇa descriptions and tattva-dhyāna sequences; Agni Purana: dhyāna-yajña passages emphasizing inner purification
FAQs
It teaches a stepwise internal meditation method: intentionally subduing tamas by invoking rajas (wakeful activation), then subduing rajas by establishing sattva (lucid balance).
Alongside rituals and dharma, the Agni Purana also preserves practical Yoga–Sāṅkhya psychology—here, a concise operational instruction for transforming mental states through the guṇas.
By progressively replacing inertia and agitation with clarity, the practitioner purifies the mind, making it fit for higher contemplation and reducing the karmic pull of tamasic and rajasic tendencies.