Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 44
Explanation of the Final Dissolution (Ātyantika Laya) and the Arising of Hiraṇyagarbha — Subtle Body, Post-Death Transit, Rebirth, and Embodied Constituents
षट्त्वचा वाह्यतो यद्वदन्या रुधिरधारिका विलासधारिणी चान्या चतुर्थी कुण्डधारिणी
ṣaṭtvacā vāhyato yadvadanyā rudhiradhārikā vilāsadhāriṇī cānyā caturthī kuṇḍadhāriṇī
The skin has six layers. From the outer side inward: one layer is as described; another is the bearer of blood; another bears the vessels/channels; the fourth bears boil-like eruptions (kuṇḍa).
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Clinical anatomy for diagnosing skin disorders by depth (tvacā-bheda) and relating lesions/bleeding to the involved layer.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Ṣaṭ-tvacaḥ (Six layers of skin)","lookup_keywords":["ṣaṭ-tvaca","tvacā-bheda","rudhira-dhārikā","sirā-dhāriṇī","kuṇḍa-dhāriṇī"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates successive skin layers and their functional associations (blood-bearing, vessel-bearing, eruption-bearing), useful for locating pathology by depth."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Śarīra as a stratified, knowable structure; functional mapping of form to function.
Application: Cultivates clinical discernment (viveka) by correlating visible signs with hidden anatomical strata.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Sharira-rachana: Anatomy of the body and its layers)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic anatomical diagram-like scene showing six concentric skin layers, labeled with functions: blood-bearing, vessel-bearing, and boil/eruption-bearing strata.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, warm earthy palette, a seated ṛṣi-vaidya teaching disciples, beside a stylized cross-section of human skin in concentric bands with Sanskrit labels rudhira-dhārikā, sirā-dhāriṇī, kuṇḍa-dhāriṇī; temple mural aesthetics, flat yet ornate detailing.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central physician-sage with gold leaf halo, ornate borders; to the side a symbolic skin-layer mandala of six rings with embossed gold highlights and Devanagari labels; rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework and soft shading; instructional panel showing six skin layers like a botanical cut-section, with a teacher pointing using a stylus; minimal background, emphasis on clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly atelier scene of a hakim-like scholar and students examining an illustrated folio of skin layers; delicate pigments, precise labeling, architectural interior with carpets and low desks."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: षट्त्वचा = षट् + त्वचा; चान्या = च + अन्या.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 368 (garbha/śarīra-rachana context); Agni Purana 369 (indriya/avayava taxonomy)
FAQs
Ayurvedic anatomical knowledge: it classifies the skin into multiple layers and associates specific layers with functions and disorders (blood-support, channel-bearing, and susceptibility to boil-like eruptions).
It shows the Agni Purana preserving medical-anatomical taxonomy (tvak-bheda) alongside religious material, demonstrating its broad coverage of practical sciences such as Ayurveda within a Purana framework.
By mapping bodily structure and disease loci, the text supports dharmic living through health-preservation; maintaining the body is treated as instrumental for performing duties, worship, and austerities with purity and steadiness.