Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 12
Granthaprasthāvanā (Preface): Sāra of Knowledge, Twofold Brahman, and the Purpose of Avatāras
वसिष्ठ उवाच संसारसागरोत्तार- नावं ब्रह्मेश्वरं वद विद्यासारं यद्विदित्वा सर्वज्ञो जायते नरः
vasiṣṭha uvāca saṃsārasāgarottāra- nāvaṃ brahmeśvaraṃ vada vidyāsāraṃ yadviditvā sarvajño jāyate naraḥ
Vasiṣṭha sprach: „Verkünde mir Brahman, den höchsten Herrn—das Boot zum Übersetzen über den Ozean des Saṃsāra—und lehre die Essenz des Wissens; wer sie erkennt, wird allwissend.“
Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Sets the learning goal of the text: mokṣa-oriented Brahma-vidyā as the means to cross saṃsāra; useful as a preface for study vows and teaching lineages.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Brahmeśvara as the boat across Saṃsāra; Vidyā-sāra that yields Sarvajñatā","lookup_keywords":["saṃsāra-sāgara","uttāra-nāva","brahmeśvara","vidyā-sāra","sarvajña"],"quick_summary":"Requests the essential liberating knowledge: realization of the Supreme Lord as the means to cross worldly bondage, culminating in comprehensive understanding (sarvajñatā)."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (metaphor: Lord/knowledge as boat)
Concept: Mokṣa is approached through Brahma-vidyā; the ‘boat’ metaphor emphasizes a practical means (upāya) rather than mere speculation.
Application: Adopt śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana (hearing, reflection, contemplation) under a teacher; treat knowledge as a disciplined path that carries one beyond saṃsāra.
Khanda Section: Jnana-prashna (Brahma-vidya / Moksha-vidya Prelude)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vasiṣṭha addressing Agni (or the divine narrator), gesturing toward a symbolic boat on a vast ocean labeled ‘saṃsāra’, with a radiant Brahmeśvara as the helmsman; scrolls signify ‘vidyā-sāra’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Vasiṣṭha with matted locks speaking, stylized ocean waves as saṃsāra, a small boat with a radiant divine helmsman, palm-leaf manuscripts, warm earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, symbolic boat crossing a blue-gold ocean, central radiant Brahmeśvara with gold embossing, Vasiṣṭha in prayerful pose, ornate frame and arch, heavy gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic allegory: labeled elements (ocean/boat/knowledge scroll), fine lines, soft colors, Vasiṣṭha teaching posture, calm devotional ambience","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, allegorical seascape with detailed waves, a small boat carrying a luminous figure, Vasiṣṭha on shore instructing disciples, intricate borders and naturalistic detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संसारसागरोत्तारनावम् = संसार + सागर + उत्तार + नावम्; यद्विदित्वा = यत् + विदित्वा.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa: opening ‘vidyā-sāra’ framing (adhyāya 1 context); Agni Purāṇa: later mokṣa/jñāna sections (where sādhanā and tattva are expanded)
FAQs
The verse frames the requested vidyā as brahma-vidyā—the knowledge of Brahman/Iśvara—presented as the practical “boat” for crossing saṃsāra, i.e., a liberating knowledge rather than a specific ritual procedure.
It sets a programmatic opening: before detailing many disciplines, the text anchors them in a highest “vidyā-sāra” (core knowledge). This establishes a unifying mokṣa-oriented framework that can encompass later subjects (ritual, governance, medicine, arts) as subordinate knowledges.
By seeking Brahmeśvara as the means to “cross” saṃsāra, the verse points to liberation from karmic bondage through right knowledge—implying purification and release from repeated birth and death via realization of the Supreme.