Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 369 — शरीरावयवाः
The Limbs/Organs and Constituents of the Body
स याति परमं स्थानं यो वेत्ति पुरुषं परं सप्ताशयाः स्मृता देहे रुधिरस्यैक आशयः
sa yāti paramaṃ sthānaṃ yo vetti puruṣaṃ paraṃ saptāśayāḥ smṛtā dehe rudhirasyaika āśayaḥ
Die höchste Stätte erreicht, wer die höchste Person erkennt. Im Körper werden sieben «Behältnisse» (āśayas) gelehrt; darunter ist eines das Behältnis des Blutes.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Connects liberation teaching (knowing Purusha) with śārīra enumeration of āśayas (bodily receptacles), supporting both spiritual practice and anatomical/physiological mapping used in diagnosis and therapy.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Puruṣa-jñāna and the Seven Āśayas (Including Raktāśaya)","lookup_keywords":["puruṣa-jñāna","paramaṃ sthānam","sapta āśaya","deha","rudhira (rakta) āśaya"],"quick_summary":"Promises the supreme state to one who knows the Supreme Person, then enumerates bodily ‘receptacles’ (āśayas), noting one as the receptacle of blood. Bridges mokṣa discourse with śārīra anatomy used in Ayurvedic reasoning."}
Concept: Knowledge of the Supreme Person as the means to attain the supreme abode; body is treated as a knowable field with defined ‘seats’ (āśayas).
Application: Combine adhyātma practice (puruṣa-smṛti) with embodied awareness: observe bodily regions as functional ‘receptacles’ without mistaking them for the Self.
Khanda Section: Adhyatma / Moksha-shastra (Purusha-tattva and subtle-body physiology)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditative yogin contemplating the inner Purusha, with a transparent anatomical overlay showing labeled āśayas; one highlighted in red as raktāśaya (blood receptacle).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: seated yogin with serene face, translucent torso diagram with seven āśaya compartments, raktāśaya painted deep vermilion, traditional stylized anatomy, temple-mural palette and borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold halo (puruṣa-jñāna), overlay of anatomical compartments in jewel tones, raktāśaya emphasized with red and gold embossing, ornate frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional anatomical painting—sage-teacher beside a standing figure with labeled āśayas, raktāśaya highlighted; fine lines, readable labels, calm classroom setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: physician-scholar and ascetic together examining a diagram scroll of the body’s āśayas; raktāśaya marked in red ink; detailed textiles, manuscripts, and instruments."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: saptāśayāḥ = sapta + āśayāḥ; rudhirasyaika = rudhirasya + ekaḥ (vowel sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Śārīra/Ayurveda sections listing āśayas, dhātus, doṣa-sthāna; Agni Purana: Mokṣa/Adhyātma passages on puruṣa-jñāna
FAQs
It teaches Purusha-jnana (knowledge of the Supreme Person) as the means to reach the supreme state, and introduces a technical physiological classification—seven bodily āśayas (receptacles), including a specific seat/repository associated with blood (rudhira).
The verse bridges moksha-oriented metaphysics (Purusha-knowledge) with quasi-Ayurvedic anatomical/physiological taxonomy (āśayas and rudhira), exemplifying how the Agni Purana compiles spiritual doctrine alongside technical body-science terminology.
It asserts that liberating attainment (paramaṃ sthānam) is achieved through realizing the Supreme Person; bodily classifications are secondary supports, but the core karmic-spiritual takeaway is that true knowledge (jnana) leads to the highest destination.