Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 13
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
सर्वभावविनिर्मुक्तं क्षेत्रज्ञं ब्रह्मणि न्यसेत् एतज्ज्ञानञ्च ध्यानञ्च शेषो ऽन्यो ग्रन्थविस्तरः
sarvabhāvavinirmuktaṃ kṣetrajñaṃ brahmaṇi nyaset etajjñānañca dhyānañca śeṣo 'nyo granthavistaraḥ
Man lege (lasse aufgehen) den Kenner des Feldes (kṣetrajña), von allen Geisteszuständen und bedingten Dispositionen befreit, in Brahman nieder. Dies ist wahrlich Erkenntnis und Meditation; alles andere ist nur ausgedehnte Textausbreitung.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the usual Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Jnana-yoga","practical_application":"Meditative absorption (laya) of the witnessing consciousness (kṣetrajña) into Brahman as the core practice; treat excessive scriptural disputation as secondary to direct contemplation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Kṣetrajña-laya in Brahman as Jñāna and Dhyāna","lookup_keywords":["kṣetrajña","brahman","jñāna","dhyāna","sarvabhāva-vinirmukta"],"quick_summary":"Liberation-practice is defined as placing the field-knower, freed from all mental modifications, into Brahman; the rest is textual elaboration rather than the essence."}
Concept: Jñāna and dhyāna culminate in dissolving the kṣetrajña (witness-consciousness) into Brahman; śāstra-vistāra is ancillary.
Application: In meditation: withdraw from all bhāvas (vṛttis/saṃskāras), abide as the witness, then rest that witnessing in non-dual Brahman—prioritizing practice over debate.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Jnana-yoga (Liberation through Knowledge and Meditation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solitary yogin seated in deep meditation, mental waves dissolving, the inner witness merging into an all-pervading luminous Brahman; manuscripts and debate scrolls lie aside as secondary.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, serene yogin in padmāsana, subtle halo expanding into formless golden-white Brahman light, minimal background, traditional earthy pigments, calm śānta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central meditating sage with ornate aureole, Brahman as radiant gold-leaf field behind, small discarded palm-leaf manuscripts at the base, rich reds and greens, devotional stillness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework showing stages of withdrawal from senses, yogin with closed eyes, faint vṛtti-clouds dissolving into a luminous void labeled Brahman, instructional composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ascetic in quiet chamber, books and scrolls on one side, a luminous abstract aura enveloping him, delicate detailing, restrained palette, contemplative atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शेषोऽन्यः = शेषः + अन्यः; एतज्ज्ञानञ्च = एतत् + ज्ञानम् + च; ध्यानञ्च = ध्यानम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Mokṣa-dharma / Jñāna-yoga sections on dhyāna, vairāgya, and brahma-jñāna (nearby verses in adhyāya 165)
FAQs
It imparts Jñāna–Dhyāna Vidyā: the practical method of withdrawing from all mental modifications and resting the witnessing Self (kṣetrajña) in Brahman as the core discipline of realization.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves a concise Vedāntic/yogic summary: it frames liberation as direct realization and meditation, treating extensive textual discussion as secondary to lived practice.
By dissolving identification with changing states and abiding as the Self in Brahman, one cuts the roots of bondage (karma-producing identification), making this instruction a direct pointer to inner purification and mokṣa.