Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 27
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
न सन्ति यत्र सर्वेशे नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः सत्तामात्रात्मके ज्ञेये ज्ञानात्मन्यात्महः परे
na santi yatra sarveśe nāmajātyādikalpanāḥ sattāmātrātmake jñeye jñānātmanyātmahaḥ pare
In the Supreme Lord of all, there are no conceptual constructions such as name, class, and the like. What is to be known is of the nature of mere Being; in that Supreme—whose essence is pure Knowledge—those who destroy the Self through ignorance do not abide.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Negation of conceptual superimpositions (nāma-jāti-ādi) to stabilize nirvikalpa understanding of Brahman as pure Being-Consciousness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Brahman Beyond Nāma–Jāti (Conceptual Constructions)","lookup_keywords":["nāma","jāti","kalpanā","sattā-mātra","jñāna-ātman"],"quick_summary":"The Supreme is free from name/class constructs; the knowable reality is mere Being, and the Supreme is pure Knowledge. Ignorance that ‘kills the Self’ cannot remain there—pointing to liberation as removal of avidyā."}
Alamkara Type: Vyatireka (by negation)
Concept: Brahman/Īśvara is beyond linguistic and categorical constructions; reality is ‘sattā-mātra’ and ‘jñāna-svarūpa’. Avidyā is self-destructive (‘ātma-han’) and cannot coexist with realized Brahman-knowledge.
Application: Apply neti-neti to name/form/class identifications; meditate on ‘sat-cit’ as the invariant, reducing reification of concepts and social/mental labels.
Khanda Section: Moksha-jnana / Advaita-Vedanta (Brahma-svarupa-nirupana)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage contemplating a vast, empty-luminous expanse where words and labels dissolve; faint glyphs of ‘name’ and ‘class’ fade away into pure light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, seated rishi in meditation, surrounding floating Sanskrit words ‘nāma’, ‘jāti’ dissolving into a central white-gold radiance, minimal background, sacred calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central radiant oval of gold leaf symbolizing pure Being, small meditating sage at base, decorative but subdued, inscriptions fading into the gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional composition: layers labeled ‘nāma/jāti/ādi kalpanā’ peeling away to reveal ‘sattā-mātra’ light, fine linework and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-sage in a quiet garden pavilion, calligraphic labels drifting upward and vanishing into a blank luminous sky, delicate borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāmajātyādikalpanāḥ = nāma + jāti + ādi + kalpanāḥ; sattāmātrātmake = sattā + mātra + ātmake; jñānātmanyātmahaḥ = jñānātmani + ātmahaḥ (sandhi: i+a→yā).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367 (Vedānta/Mokṣa-śāstra section); Agni Purana 368.1 (jñāna as cause of ātyantika-laya)
FAQs
It imparts jñāna-vidyā (liberation-knowledge): Brahman/Sarveśa is beyond conceptual categories like name and class, and is realized as pure Being (sattā-mātra) and pure Consciousness (jñāna-ātman).
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana includes Vedāntic metaphysics; this verse exemplifies its mokṣa-śāstra layer by defining the Supreme as category-transcending reality (beyond nāma-jāti) and as knowledge itself.
It directs the seeker away from reifying labels and identities; clinging to such constructs is framed as ‘ātma-hā’ (self-destruction by ignorance), while realizing the Supreme as pure being-consciousness is the path to liberation.