Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 54
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
शठो ऽलसस्तामसः स्यात् कार्यादिधीश् च सात्त्विकी कार्यार्थं सा राजसी स्याद्विपरीता तु तामसी
śaṭho 'lasastāmasaḥ syāt kāryādidhīś ca sāttvikī kāryārthaṃ sā rājasī syādviparītā tu tāmasī
প্ৰতাৰক বা অলস ব্যক্তি তামস বুলি গণ্য। যি বুদ্ধি কৰ্তব্য আদি সঠিকভাৱে নিয়ন্ত্ৰণ কৰি পথ দেখুৱায় সি সাত্ত্বিকী। যি বুদ্ধি কেৱল কাৰ্যসিদ্ধি/লাভৰ বাবে প্ৰবৃত্ত হয় সি ৰাজসী; আৰু তাৰ বিপৰীত বুদ্ধি তামসী।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Personnel and governance ethics: assess officials (and oneself) by guṇa-markers—deceit/indolence (tamas), duty-guided discernment (sattva), goal-driven expediency (rajas)—to assign roles and correct faults.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Guṇa-lakṣaṇa of persons and buddhi in governance","lookup_keywords":["śaṭha","ālasa","tāmasa","sāttvikī-buddhi","rājasī-buddhi"],"quick_summary":"Deceit and laziness indicate tamas. Understanding that directs proper duty is sāttvika; understanding that acts chiefly for ends is rājasika; its opposite (misdirected/neglectful) is tāmasika—useful for ethical administration."}
Concept: Buddhi and character are guṇa-conditioned; dharma-guided discernment is the sāttvika standard for right action and right governance.
Application: In appointments and self-training: discourage śāṭhya (deceit) and ālasya (sloth); cultivate duty-first discernment; restrain purely result-obsessed reasoning.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Ethics of governance; typology of mental dispositions/guṇas)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king evaluates three candidates: one sly and slouching (tamas), one upright holding a dharma-scroll (sattva), one energetic pointing to targets and ledgers (rajas); the court observes the discernment process.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal assessment scene with three archetypal figures: shadowy deceitful-lazy tāmasa, luminous upright sāttvika with dharma-patra, red-toned active rājasika with goal symbols; bold lines, flat colors, moral symbolism","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, enthroned king as dharma-judge, three applicants in distinct guṇa colors, ornate court pillars, gilded highlights on the dharma-scroll and throne","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic court tableau, expressive faces showing deceit, clarity, and ambition; labeled guṇa captions, soft shading and refined detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, durbar scene with meticulous textiles and architecture; three petitioners embody tamas/sattva/rajas through posture and objects (scroll, ledger, concealed dagger), refined palette and floral borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śaṭho 'lasaḥ = śaṭhaḥ ālasaḥ; kāryādidhīś = kārya-ādi-dhīḥ; kāryārthaṃ = kārya-artham; syādviparītā = syāt viparītā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 380.53; Agni Purana 380.52
FAQs
It imparts a technical guṇa-based diagnostic of conduct and intellect—how to identify tāmasika (deceit/indolence), sāttvika (duty-governed clarity), and rājasika (goal-driven activity) tendencies for ethical decision-making.
Beyond ritual topics, it codifies applied moral psychology for social order and governance (rājadharma), showing the text’s wide scope—from theology to practical classification of human behavior.
Cultivating sāttvika intellect (duty-directed clarity) supports righteous action (dharma) and purifies karma, while rājasika and especially tāmasika tendencies obscure discernment and lead to ethically harmful outcomes.