Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 13
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतान्तरन्ति ते आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थो ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ
māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāntaranti te ārto jijñāsurarthārtho jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
হে ভারতশ্রেষ্ঠ! যারা কেবল আমার শরণ নেয়, তারা এই মায়া অতিক্রম করে। তারা চার প্রকার—আর্ত, জিজ্ঞাসু, অর্থার্থী ও জ্ঞানী।
Lord Agni (teaching in a Vishnu-bhakti / moksha context, echoing Bhagavad Gita terminology)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Bhakti-yoga","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Adopt prapatti (exclusive refuge) as a practical method: daily surrender, remembrance, and ethical alignment; recognize one’s motivational type among the four to tailor practice and mature toward jnana-bhakti.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Four Types of Devotees and the Means to Cross Maya (Prapatti)","lookup_keywords":["prapadyante","maya-tarana","arto","jijnasu","artharthi","jnani"],"quick_summary":"Those who take refuge in the Lord cross maya; devotees are fourfold—distressed, inquisitive, wealth-seeker, and knower. The list helps diagnose one’s entry-point into devotion and directs it toward liberation."}
Concept: Prapatti to the Lord is the effective means to transcend guna-mayi maya; bhakti admits graded motivations that can be purified into jnana.
Application: Perform a daily act of surrender (sharanam mantra, offering of actions), and convert artha-driven or fear-driven prayer into steady remembrance and service; seek satsanga to mature into jnani-bhakta.
Khanda Section: Bhakti-yoga and Moksha-dharma (Vishnu-bhakti; doctrine of surrender and liberation)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vishnu as compassionate refuge with raised abhaya hand; four devotees approach—one distressed, one inquisitive with scripture, one seeking wealth with offerings, one serene knower with lamp—crossing a river labeled Maya.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Vishnu standing on lotus with abhaya-mudra, a stylized river ‘Maya’ below; four devotees in distinct poses and colors approach; traditional flat perspective, bold outlines, temple-mural palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Vishnu richly ornamented with gold leaf, conch and discus, four devotees at the base with symbolic items (tearful face, palm-leaf manuscript, coins, jnana-lamp), river motif in foreground, ornate prabhavali.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic labeling of the four types, Vishnu granting refuge, a bridge of mantra-japa beads across the ‘Maya’ river; fine linework and gentle shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, divine figure on a terrace overlooking a river; four petitioners in varied attire present their motives; delicate architectural details and naturalistic water rendering, allegorical tone."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मामेव = माम् + एव; मायामेतान्तरन्ति = मायाम् + एताम् + तरन्ति; भरतर्षभ = भरत + ऋषभ (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana bhakti sections on Vishnu worship, nama-japa, and moksha through surrender
FAQs
It teaches the practical spiritual method of prapatti (exclusive surrender to the Lord) as the means to cross Māyā, and classifies practitioners into four functional types for guidance in devotion.
Alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also systematizes soteriology: it maps human motivations in religion (distress, inquiry, gain, wisdom) and anchors them in a coherent liberation-teaching centered on bhakti.
Exclusive refuge in the Divine is presented as the purifier that enables transcendence of delusion (Māyā), turning even worldly-motivated devotion into a liberating path when oriented toward the Lord.