Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 22
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
वायोरपि गुणं स्पर्शमाकाशं ग्रसते ततः वायौ नष्टे तु चाकाशन्नीरवं तिष्ठति द्विज
vāyorapi guṇaṃ sparśamākāśaṃ grasate tataḥ vāyau naṣṭe tu cākāśannīravaṃ tiṣṭhati dvija
Then ether (ākāśa) absorbs even the quality of air—touch (sparśa). And when air has perished, ether remains, soundless, O twice-born.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic cosmology to a twice-born/ṛṣi audience)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Teaching the hierarchy of tanmatras/mahabhutas: touch (sparsha) is withdrawn into akasha; supports Sankhya-Yoga analysis of sensory qualities and meditative withdrawal from tactile identification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pralaya: Sparsha (Touch) Withdrawn into Akasha","lookup_keywords":["akasha","sparsha","vayu-laya","tanmatra","nirava"],"quick_summary":"Ether absorbs the quality of air—touch; when air ceases, ether alone remains, characterized here as soundless in the dissolution sequence."}
Concept: Guna-laya: sensory qualities (tanmatra-like functions) retract into subtler substrates; the world’s tangibility is not ultimate.
Application: Pratyahara aid: observe tactile sensations (sparsha) as transient; mentally ‘return’ them to space-like awareness (akasha) to cultivate disidentification.
Khanda Section: Samkhya–Yoga / Cosmology (Tattva-pralaya and dissolution of elements)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After wind subsides, an immense, clear ether remains; the sense of touch dissolves into vast space, depicted as a quiet, transparent expanse with fading wind-curls and a hush over creation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: vast akasha field with faint, receding vayu spirals; palette cooled and simplified; visual emphasis on emptiness and sacred stillness; subtle motifs indicating sparsha dissolving into space.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate border with central open space motif; wind patterns diminishing into a gold-tinged void; minimal figures; embossed gold used sparingly to mark the subtle akasha principle.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic cosmology scene—vayu icon dissolving into akasha icon; clean labels ‘वायु’, ‘स्पर्श’, ‘आकाश’; calm pastel background suggesting soundless ether.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: delicate wash of pale sky, wind ribbons fading; fine negative space; quiet composition with minimal terrestrial detail, conveying ‘nirava’ stillness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāyorapi = vāyoḥ + api; sparśamākāśam = sparśam + ākāśam; cākāśam = ca + ākāśam; ākāśannīravam = ākāśam + nīravam (anusvāra sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367.23 (shabda-laya); Agni Purana 367.24 (mahabhuta-laya chain)
FAQs
It teaches the Sāṃkhya-style pralaya principle: in dissolution, a subtler element absorbs the attribute of the grosser one—here, ether (ākāśa) absorbs touch (sparśa) of air (vāyu), leaving ether as soundless (nīrava).
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana preserves technical metaphysics—mapping the elements (mahābhūtas) and their guṇas through a systematic dissolution sequence, a hallmark of its wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
Contemplating the absorption of sensory qualities in pralaya supports dispassion (vairāgya) by showing the impermanence of sense-experience, orienting the practitioner toward the unconditioned Self beyond changing tattvas.