Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 55
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
मनोधृतिः सात्त्विकी स्यात् प्रीतिकामेति राजसी तामसी तु प्रशोकादौ मुखं सत्त्वात्तदन्तगं
manodhṛtiḥ sāttvikī syāt prītikāmeti rājasī tāmasī tu praśokādau mukhaṃ sattvāttadantagaṃ
মনের ধৃতি সাত্ত্বিক; প্রীতি ও কামনা থেকে যে উদ্ভূত তা রাজস; আর তীব্র শোক প্রভৃতির আরম্ভে যে অবস্থা দেখা দেয় তা তামস—তার লক্ষণ নত মুখ; ফলও ব্যক্তির প্রাধান্যপ্রাপ্ত সত্ত্ব অনুসারে তদনুরূপেই শেষ হয়।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Classifying emotional states (bhāvas) by the three guṇas to guide characterization, acting, and ethical self-observation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Manodhṛti and Guṇa-based Bhāva Classification","lookup_keywords":["manodhṛti","sāttvika","rājasa","tāmasa","bhāva-lakṣaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Mental steadiness is defined as sāttvika; pleasure-desire driven states are rājasa; grief-led collapse with downcast face is tāmasa. Use guṇa-signs to diagnose a character’s inner state and its likely trajectory."}
Concept: Guṇa-viveka applied to mind-states; external signs (anubhāva) reveal inner guṇa.
Application: Self-audit: identify whether one’s present impulse is steadiness (sattva), desire-pleasure (rajas), or grief-delusion (tamas) and adjust conduct accordingly.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-rasadi / Bhava-Nirupana)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau of three mental states: serene steadiness (sattva), eager pleasure-desire (rajas), and grief-stricken downcast face (tamas), shown as contrasting expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, three-panel composition of human figures embodying sattva (calm gaze), rajas (bright restless eyes, ornaments), tamas (slumped posture, downcast face), flat warm palette, bold outlines, didactic labels in Sanskrit.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work, triptych: sattvic figure with halo-like calm, rajasic figure with rich gold ornaments and dynamic pose, tamasic figure subdued with minimal gold, expressive downcast face; ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional chart-like scene with three figures and subtle annotations of bhāva-lakṣaṇa, soft shading, delicate lines, emphasis on facial expression (mukha).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly psychological study: three seated figures in a garden pavilion, each showing distinct expression and posture for sattva/rajas/tamas; fine detailing, muted tones, calligraphic captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: manaḥ + dhṛtiḥ → manodhṛtiḥ; prīti-kāmā + iti → prītikāma iti; sattvāt + tad-antagam → sattvāttadantagam; praśoka + ādau → praśokādau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 380 (Sahitya-shastra: rasa/bhāva-nirūpaṇa sections); Agni Purana 381 (Yama-gītā: guṇa and mind-control themes)
FAQs
It gives a technical, poetics-oriented (sāhitya/nāṭya) classification of mental states by the three guṇas—sāttvika steadiness, rājasika pleasure-desire, and tāmasika grief—along with an observable cue (a downcast face) useful for identifying bhāvas in performance and literary depiction.
Beyond ritual and theology, it preserves applied knowledge of aesthetics and human psychology—mapping emotions to guṇa theory and external symptoms—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of kāvya-śāstra/nāṭya-style analysis alongside other disciplines.
By linking emotional patterns to the guṇas, it encourages self-observation and cultivation of sāttvika steadiness; recognizing rājasika and tāmasika impulses supports ethical restraint and inner purification, which traditional dharma texts treat as conducive to better karma and clarity of mind.