Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 10
Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिः समानपरिवर्जितं अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिर्जरामरणवर्जितं
ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotiḥ samānaparivarjitaṃ ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotirjarāmaraṇavarjitaṃ
I am Brahman—the supreme Light—free from all comparison and equivalence. I am Brahman, the supreme Light, devoid of old age and death.
Lord Agni (teaching Brahma-jnana in the Agni Purana’s moksha-oriented discourse, traditionally addressed to the sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Advaita nididhyāsana through repeated mahāvākya-style self-affirmation to dissolve dehābhimāna (body-identification) and fear of death.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Ahaṃ Brahma—Paramajyotis (Nirupama, Ajara-Amara)","lookup_keywords":["ahaṃ brahma","parama-jyotis","nirupama","ajara-amara","advaita-nididhyāsana"],"quick_summary":"A contemplative formula asserting the Self as Brahman, the incomparable supreme Light, untouched by aging and death; used for steady abidance in non-dual awareness."}
Alamkara Type: Anaphora (punarukti)
Concept: Ātman is Brahman (parama-jyotis), beyond all upamāna-upameya (comparison) and beyond jarā-maraṇa.
Application: Daily japa-like contemplation: negate mortality-thoughts by resting in the witness-light; use during fear, grief, or death-anxiety.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Brahma-jnana (Advaita-oriented Self-knowledge teaching)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solitary yogin seated in padmāsana within a dark cave-like space; from the heart/forehead radiates a vast, formless golden-white light labeled ‘parama-jyotis’, while symbols of old age and death (withered leaf, skull) dissolve at the periphery.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, a meditating rishi with serene face, halo expanding into abstract golden mandala, fading motifs of jarā and maraṇa at borders, flat decorative patterns, sacred minimalism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central seated yogin with embossed gold-leaf aureole representing parama-jyotis, rich jewel tones, ornamental frame, subtle dissolving icons of aging and death outside the gold halo.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, soft shading, instructional composition: yogin + radiating light diagram, small captions ‘nirupama’ and ‘ajara-amara’, calm palette, delicate gesso highlights.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a sage in a dim pavilion, luminous wash of light filling the page, symbolic objects of mortality rendered realistically but fading, precise detailing, restrained gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ज्योतिः + जरा… → ज्योतिर् जरा… (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः)।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 377 (Brahma-jñāna / mokṣa-dharma sequence)
FAQs
It imparts Brahma-vidya (Self-knowledge): the contemplative assertion “I am Brahman, the supreme Light,” used as a meditative recognition to dissolve identification with mortality.
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves moksha-shastra material—concise non-dual contemplations that function as a practical liberative discipline within its wide-ranging compendium.
By internalizing identity with the deathless Brahman rather than the perishable body-mind, the practitioner cultivates detachment and liberation-oriented insight, weakening fear of aging and death and directing karma toward moksha.