Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 49
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रञ्च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलं भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित्
aniṣṭamiṣṭaṃ miśrañca trividhaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalaṃ bhavatyatyāgināṃ pretya na tu sannyāsināṃ kvacit
Die Frucht des Handelns ist dreifach — unerwünscht, erwünscht und gemischt — und sie fällt nach dem Tod denen zu, die die Früchte nicht entsagen; doch wahren Entsagern (Sannyāsins) fällt sie zu keiner Zeit zu.
Lord Agni (teaching to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Teach karma-yoga and renunciation: attachment to fruits yields post-mortem karmic results; true sannyasa (fruit-renunciation) dissolves accrual, supporting liberation-oriented living.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Trividha Karma-phala and the Fruitlessness (for the Self) of Sannyāsin","lookup_keywords":["karma phala threefold","anista ista misra","atyagin","sannyasin","pretya phala"],"quick_summary":"Actions yield undesirable, desirable, or mixed results for those attached to outcomes; for genuine renunciants, fruit does not bind—pointing to liberation through non-appropriation."}
Concept: Non-attachment/tyāga severs karmic binding; sannyāsa is defined by relinquishing claim over fruits, not merely external abandonment.
Application: Perform duties without ownership of results; practice offering outcomes to the Absolute, cultivating equanimity toward iṣṭa/aniṣṭa, thereby reducing karmic bondage.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Karma-yoga (Renunciation and the fruits of action)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vairagya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contrast scene: on one side, a householder weighed by three fruits labeled iṣṭa/aniṣṭa/miśra; on the other, a sannyāsin walking lightly with staff and begging bowl, serene and unburdened, symbolizing non-accrual.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural split composition: left figure with burdened posture and symbolic fruit-bundles, right serene sannyāsin with daṇḍa and kamaṇḍalu, cool tones and lotus motifs emphasizing śānta-vairāgya.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: radiant sannyāsin with gold halo, minimal possessions; side vignette of worldly person holding three fruit symbols; rich gold work contrasts renunciation and attachment.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional allegory: three labeled fruits (iṣṭa/aniṣṭa/miśra) near attached actor; sannyāsin shown with open palm of relinquishment; fine linework and clear symbolism.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: narrative path scene—merchant/householder negotiating outcomes, then a renunciant crossing the same landscape untroubled; detailed landscape, subtle facial serenity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अनिष्टमिष्टं → अनिष्टम् + इष्टम्. मिश्रञ्च → मिश्रम् + च. भवत्यत्यागिनां → भवति + अत्यागिनाम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Mokṣa-dharma chapters on sannyāsa and karma-yoga; Agni Purana: Dharma sections on tyāga and niṣkāma-karma
FAQs
It imparts the practical doctrine of karma-phala-tyāga: outcomes of actions (pleasant, unpleasant, mixed) bind those attached to results, while a true sannyāsin is described as not accruing such post-mortem karmic fruits.
Beyond rituals and worldly sciences, the Agni Purana also systematizes mokṣa-śāstra themes—karma, renunciation, and liberation—showing its coverage of both practical disciplines and philosophical soteriology.
It states that bondage arises from ownership of results; renunciation (especially sannyāsa) is framed as a condition in which karmic fruits do not adhere, supporting the path toward liberation.