Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Dīkṣāvidhi-kathana
Explanation of the Rite of Initiation
संसारार्णवमग्नानां पशूनां पाशमुक्तये त्वमेव शरणं देव सदा त्वं भक्तवत्सल
saṃsārārṇavamagnānāṃ paśūnāṃ pāśamuktaye tvameva śaraṇaṃ deva sadā tvaṃ bhaktavatsala
For beings sunk in the ocean of saṃsāra, like animals bound fast, You alone are the refuge, O God, for release from the pāśa—the noose of bondage. Ever are You tender toward Your devotees.
Lord Agni (narrating devotional doctrine in the Agni Purana’s discourse tradition)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Use as a mokṣa-oriented prayer of śaraṇāgati (refuge) to Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva, especially in daily japa or during pūjā as a bhakti-affirmation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Śaraṇāgati-stuti: Saṃsārārṇava and pāśa-mukti","lookup_keywords":["saṃsārārṇava","pāśa","śaraṇa","bhaktavatsala","mokṣa-stuti"],"quick_summary":"The verse frames worldly existence as an ocean and bondage as a noose; it declares God alone as refuge and compassionate to devotees, supporting a bhakti-based path to liberation."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (metaphor) / Dṛṣṭānta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: Śaraṇāgati and īśvara-anugraha as the means to pāśa-mukti (release from bondage) and mokṣa.
Application: Cultivate surrender and remembrance of the ‘bhaktavatsala’ Lord during distress, guilt, or fear; integrate into daily prayer as a concise mokṣa-intent.
Khanda Section: Stotra & Bhakti (Moksha-oriented Prayer within Agni Purana’s devotional teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bound beings struggle in a vast ocean; above, the compassionate Lord extends protection, symbolically cutting the noose of bondage for devotees.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic saṃsāra-ocean with stylized waves, devotees as small figures with rope-nooses, Vāsudeva/Vishnu luminous and calm above, conch and discus implied, warm earthy palette, devotional serenity overcoming turmoil.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Vishnu with gold halo and ornaments, devotees below with loosened ropes, ocean motif as decorative band, heavy gold work emphasizing ‘bhaktavatsala’ compassion, symmetrical devotional composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, gentle narrative: ocean of saṃsāra as soft blue field, devotees with pāśa being untied, Lord as refuge gesture (abhaya), fine linework and subdued elegance.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed seascape with figures in distress, a radiant deity on a cloud-like throne offering refuge, attendants and subtle inscriptions, refined facial expressions conveying karuṇā and śānti."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: tvameva = tvam + eva; saṃsārārṇavamagnānām treated as compound phrase 'saṃsāra-arṇava-magna' in genitive plural.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 27 (stotra passages embedded in pūjā-vidhi); Agni Purana devotional sections on Viṣṇu-nāma and mokṣa (elsewhere in the text)
FAQs
This verse imparts the practical bhakti-vidya of śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): liberation is sought not through a technique here, but through exclusive reliance on the Deva as the remover of pāśa (bondage).
Alongside its ritual, polity, medicine, and arts material, the Agni Purana also preserves compact theological and soteriological teachings; this verse exemplifies its bhakti and mokṣa dimension by defining the human condition (saṃsāra) and the remedy (refuge in the Lord).
Spiritually, it frames bondage as a pāśa and teaches that sincere refuge in the bhaktavatsala Lord is a direct cause for release from saṃsāric suffering and its karmic entanglements.