Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 172 — “Expiations beginning with the Secret
Rites)” (Rahasya-ādi-prāyaścitta
चित्तस्थमीशमव्यक्तमनन्तमपराजितं विष्णुमीड्यमशेषेण अनादिनिधनं विभुं
cittasthamīśamavyaktamanantamaparājitaṃ viṣṇumīḍyamaśeṣeṇa anādinidhanaṃ vibhuṃ
I praise Viṣṇu—the Lord abiding in the mind; unmanifest, infinite, unconquered; wholly worthy of adoration; the all-pervading One, without beginning and without end.
Lord Agni (narrating a Vishnu-stuti within the Agni Purana’s instruction to Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Dhyana and stuti for steadiness of mind, bhakti, and purification; used as a daily Vishnu-smriti invocation before japa/puja.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Vishnu as Avyakta-Ananta-Anadi-Nidhana (Dhyana-stuti lakshana)","lookup_keywords":["Vishnu-dhyana","avyakta","ananta","aparajita","anadi-nidhana"],"quick_summary":"Defines Vishnu for contemplation as unmanifest, infinite, unconquered, beginningless and endless, and all-pervading. Useful as a mental icon (bhavana) to stabilize meditation and devotion."}
Alamkara Type: Visheshana-mala (epithet-chain); Anuprasa (soft alliteration)
Concept: Nirguna-brahma-lakshana applied to Vishnu: avyakta, ananta, anadi-nidhana, vibhu; the Lord as inner object of citta.
Application: Use the epithets as a dhyana-krama: inwardly place the Lord in mind, negate limitation (ananta), negate defeat (aparajita), and rest in all-pervasion (vibhu).
Khanda Section: Stotra-Mantra (Vishnu-smriti / Dhyana and Praise)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditative devotee with closed eyes visualizing an unbounded, luminous Vishnu presence filling the cosmos; emphasis on formless infinity rather than detailed iconography.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style: seated yogi in padmasana, subtle blue aura suggesting Vishnu’s all-pervasion, cosmic lotus motifs, restrained iconographic hints (shankha-chakra as faint symbols), warm earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central radiant mandala with gold leaf, a serene Vishnu presence suggested by symbolic shankha-chakra-gada-padma around a luminous void, devotee at bottom in namaskara, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional dhyana scene—devotee seated, thought-bubble/halo showing infinite expanse with Vishnu symbols, fine linework, soft shading, calm temple interior.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: contemplative scholar-devotee in a quiet chamber, delicate cloud-like aureole representing the unmanifest infinite, calligraphic Sanskrit verse panel, subdued blues and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चित्तस्थम्+ईशम्→चित्तस्थमीशम्; अव्यक्तम्+अनन्तम्+अपराजितम्→अव्यक्तमनन्तमपराजितम्; विष्णुम्+ईड्यम्→विष्णुमीड्यम्; अनादि+निधनम्→अनादिनिधनम् (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vishnu-smriti/stotra sections in the same khanda (172.4–172.7); Agni Purana dhyana-stuti and nama-lakshana passages elsewhere in stotra-mantra portions
FAQs
It teaches a dhyāna-oriented stuti: mentally स्थापित (cittastha) contemplation and verbal praise of Vishnu’s theological attributes (avyakta, ananta, aparājita) as a practical devotional method.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves concise theological and meditative formulae—here, a doctrinally dense Vishnu-stuti used for devotion and contemplation.
Praising and meditating on Vishnu as beginningless, endless, and all-pervading is presented as a purifying practice that steadies the mind and strengthens bhakti, supporting merit (puṇya) and inner clarity.