Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 76
Dīkṣāvidhi-kathana
Explanation of the Rite of Initiation
दग्ध्वा मायामयं पाशं प्रव्रज्य स्वात्मनि स्थितः शरीरपातमाकाङ्क्षन्नासीताव्यक्तलिङ्गवान्
dagdhvā māyāmayaṃ pāśaṃ pravrajya svātmani sthitaḥ śarīrapātamākāṅkṣannāsītāvyaktaliṅgavān
মায়াময় পাশ দগ্ধ করে, প্রব্রজ্যা গ্রহণ করে, স্ব-আত্মায় প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়ে, শরীরপাতে আকাঙ্ক্ষী হয়ে তিনি অবস্থান করলেন—বাহ্য লিঙ্গ (চিহ্ন) অপ্রকাশিত রেখে।
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary dialogic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Model of advanced renunciation: sever the maya-bond, live established in the Self, remain without external identity-marks, and patiently await natural body-fall without craving worldly continuance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Avyakta-linga Sannyasin: Burning the Maya-pasha","lookup_keywords":["maya-pasha","pravrajya","svatmani-sthiti","avyakta-linga","sharira-pata"],"quick_summary":"The renunciant burns the noose of maya, abides in the Self, and lives without outward marks, awaiting the body’s fall in steady detachment."}
Concept: Liberation-oriented renunciation: destruction of avidya/maya bondage, establishment in atman, and transcendence of social markers (linga) while awaiting prarabdha’s exhaustion (body-fall).
Application: Cultivate non-identification (no reliance on external signs for status), sustain atma-nishtha through meditation and discrimination, and accept bodily decline without fear or indulgence—letting prarabdha end naturally.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Sannyasa-yoga (Renunciation and Liberation Teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A renunciant in minimal, unmarked appearance sits absorbed in the Self; a dark rope/noose labeled ‘maya’ is shown burning away; the body appears fragile, with a calm, luminous inner presence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ascetic seated under a tree, no distinctive sect marks, a stylized black noose dissolving in flame around him, inner golden aura steady, sparse forest backdrop, bold contours and earthy pigments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central ascetic with serene face, gold aura emphasizing atman-sthiti, burning maya-noose rendered with dramatic contrast, minimal ornaments, embossed gold for the inner light, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, contemplative instructional scene: ascetic without external insignia, subtle diagrammatic ‘maya-pasha’ burning, gentle shading, emphasis on still posture and inward gaze","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, solitary renunciant near a riverbank, thin body, calm eyes, a faint smoky noose evaporating into air, delicate landscape and restrained palette conveying quiet liberation"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svātmani = sva + ātmani; śarīrapātam + ākāṅkṣan → śarīrapātamākāṅkṣan; ākāṅkṣan + āsīt → ākāṅkṣannāsīt; āsīt + avyakta-liṅgavān → āsītāvyaktaliṅgavān
Related Themes: Agni Purana moksha-dharma teachings on vairagya and atma-nishtha; Agni Purana sannyasa-yoga descriptions of renouncer conduct
FAQs
It teaches the sannyāsa-vidhi in essence: renounce worldly bonds (māyā-pāśa), abide in ātma-niṣṭhā (establishment in the Self), and live without external identifiers (avyakta-liṅga), awaiting the natural dropping of the body.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves mokṣa-śāstra material—here summarizing renunciation psychology and the ascetic ideal—showing its coverage from practical disciplines to ultimate liberation doctrine.
Burning the māyā-fetter signifies cutting karmic attachment and ego-identification; abiding in the Self points to liberation-oriented conduct where death is seen as mere body-fall, not the self’s end.