Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 26
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
परिमार्जिता इति घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः द्विधा इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः पञ्चान्तरस्त्वसिद्ध्यर्थमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः पञ्चोत्तरस्तु सिद्ध्यर्थमिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अरमध्ये स्थितो मधमरणिं भ्रामयेत् समम् एवं सिद्ध्यन्तराः सम्यक् मातुलाङ्गनिभाः समाः सुक्ष्मां ज्योतिर्मयं रूपं हार्दं चिन्तामयं भवेत् चिन्तया रहितं यत्तु तत् परं प्रकीर्तितम्
parimārjitā iti gha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ dvidhā iti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ pañcāntarastvasiddhyarthamiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ pañcottarastu siddhyarthamiti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ aramadhye sthito madhamaraṇiṃ bhrāmayet samam evaṃ siddhyantarāḥ samyak mātulāṅganibhāḥ samāḥ sukṣmāṃ jyotirmayaṃ rūpaṃ hārdaṃ cintāmayaṃ bhavet cintayā rahitaṃ yattu tat paraṃ prakīrtitam
„Gereinigt“—so liest eine markierte Handschrift; „auf zweierlei Weise“—so eine andere; „fünf Zwischenräume sind zum Nicht-Erreichen“—so eine; während „fünf jenseits (der fünf) zum Erreichen sind“—so eine andere. In der Mitte des araṇi (des inneren Feuerreibapparats) stehend, soll man den mittleren araṇi gleichmäßig drehen. So entstehen die Zwischenvollkommenheiten rechtmäßig, gleichförmig und dem mātulāṅga (Zitronatzitrone) ähnlich. Im Herzen entsteht eine feine, lichtvolle Gestalt, aus Betrachtung gebildet; doch was frei von Denken ist, wird als das Höchste verkündet.
Lord Agni (narrating the teaching to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Yoga and Inner Ritual (Agneya-vidya / Dhyana-yoga / Antaryaga)","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Guides inner fire-churning visualization (arani) and graded meditative attainments culminating in thought-free absorption (nirvikalpa) recognized as the Supreme.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Antaryāga: Arani-madhya-bhramaṇa and emergence of heart-light (cintāmaya to acintya)","lookup_keywords":["antaryaga","arani","hrdaya-jyotis","cintamaya-rupa","nirvikalpa-para"],"quick_summary":"Rotate the inner arani evenly in visualization to stabilize intermediate siddhis; a subtle luminous heart-form arises as contemplation, while the thought-free state is taught as the Supreme."}
Concept: Distinction between contemplative (cintāmaya/savikalpa) inner form and the Supreme as thought-free (acintya/nirvikalpa).
Application: Use visualization as a ladder, then release all constructions to rest in non-conceptual awareness.
Khanda Section: Yoga and Inner Ritual (Agneya-vidya / Dhyana-yoga / Antaryaga)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin visualizes an inner arani (fire-churning) at the center; from the heart arises a subtle luminous form, then dissolves into thought-free radiance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, seated yogin in padmasana, stylized inner arani as concentric golden-red forms at the navel/heart axis, a small radiant heart-lotus emitting white-gold jyotis, minimal background, sacred geometry accents.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central yogin with ornate halo, embossed gold heart-lotus with gem-like highlights, inner arani depicted as gilded churning rods, luminous form emerging then fading into a gold field.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing stepwise stages: arani rotation, intermediate siddhi symbols, heart-light; soft pastel background, instructional panel composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate interior scene with a yogin, delicate rendering of a glowing heart-lotus and a tiny inner lamp-like jyotis, fine borders with geometric motifs, subdued palette with gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ara-madhye (तत्पुरुष), siddhi-antarāḥ (सिद्ध्यन्तराः), jyotiḥ-mayam (ज्योतिर्मयम्), cintā-mayam (चिन्तामयम्), yat+tu→yattu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (dhyana/antaryaga sequence); Agni Purana sections on yoga-dhyana and mantra-nyasa (adjacent verses)
FAQs
It teaches an inner-ritual (antaryāga) yogic method using the symbolism of the arani: maintain an even ‘churning’ of the central principle to generate subtle inner light and graded attainments, culminating in the thought-free Supreme.
Alongside external rites, it preserves a technical contemplative discipline—complete with manuscript variants, stages of attainment (siddhy-antarāḥ), and phenomenology of inner light—showing the Purana’s coverage of practical yoga methods as well as doctrine.
It distinguishes meditative experience formed by thought (a luminous heart-vision) from the highest realization beyond thought, indicating that liberation is tied to transcending conceptual activity rather than merely acquiring intermediate powers.