Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 1
Yati-dharma
The Dharma of the Renunciate Ascetic
इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे वानप्रस्थाश्रमो नाम षष्ट्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथैकषष्ट्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः यतिधर्मः पुष्कर उवाच यतिर्धर्मं प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानमोक्षादिदर्शकं चतुर्धमायुषो भागं प्राप्य सङ्गात् परिवर्जयेत्
ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe vānaprasthāśramo nāma ṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ athaikaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ yatidharmaḥ puṣkara uvāca yatirdharmaṃ pravakṣyāmi jñānamokṣādidarśakaṃ caturdhamāyuṣo bhāgaṃ prāpya saṅgāt parivarjayet
Así, en el Agni Mahāpurāṇa concluye el capítulo centésimo sexagésimo, llamado «El āśrama de Vānaprastha (morador del bosque)». Ahora comienza el capítulo centésimo sexagésimo primero: «El dharma del Yati (renunciante)». Puṣkara dijo: «Expondré el dharma del yati, que revela el conocimiento, la liberación (mokṣa) y lo demás. Al alcanzar una cuarta parte de la vida, debe abandonar el apego y la compañía (mundana)».
Puṣkara
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Transition guideline from vānaprastha to yati-dharma: at a life-stage marker (one quarter of lifespan), reduce and abandon saṅga (worldly association) to orient toward jñāna and mokṣa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Yati-dharma Introduction: Saṅga-parityāga at the Quarter-life Stage","lookup_keywords":["yati-dharma","saṅga-parityāga","jñāna-mokṣa","āśrama","parivrājaka"],"quick_summary":"Introduces the renunciant’s dharma as a path disclosing knowledge and liberation; prescribes timely detachment—abandoning company and attachment upon reaching a mature life-stage."}
Concept: Vairāgya as prerequisite for jñāna leading to mokṣa; saṅga as bondage; timely turning from pravṛtti to nivṛtti.
Application: Adopt deliberate reduction of social entanglements, possessions, and identity-roles; prioritize study, contemplation, and ethical purification as preparation for renunciation.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ashrama & Sannyasa/Yati-dharma)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vairagya
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal chapter transition: sages in an āśrama setting; Puṣkara speaks on yati-dharma, pointing toward the path of knowledge and liberation; a renunciant figure symbolically steps away from a group, leaving saṅga.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: seated rishis in a forest hermitage; Puṣkara as teacher with palm-leaf manuscript; a lone yati silhouette moving away toward a serene horizon; calm shānta palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Puṣkara enthroned as guru with gold embellishments; disciples seated; background shows a symbolic fork—householder life fading, renunciant path glowing; rich ornamentation but tranquil mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean instructional tableau—teacher, students, and a labeled sequence motif (vānaprastha → yati); delicate lines, subdued colors, emphasis on didactic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: scholarly assembly with detailed textiles and manuscripts; Puṣkara addressing; one figure quietly departing the gathering, walking toward a distant riverbank, conveying saṅga-parityāga."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity+āgneye → ityāgneye; śatatamaḥ+adhyāyaḥ → śatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ; atha+ekaṣaṣṭy... → athaikaṣaṣṭy...; jñāna+mokṣa+ādi+darśakam → jñānamokṣādidarśakam; caturtham+āyuṣaḥ → caturthamāyuṣo; saṅgāt+parivarjayet → saṅgāt parivarjayet (no internal sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 160 (Vānaprastha-āśrama); Agni Purana 161 (Yati-dharma section)
FAQs
It introduces Yati-dharma (renunciate discipline) as a practical moksha-oriented path, emphasizing the technical principle of saṅga-tyāga—systematic avoidance of worldly association/attachment—once a quarter of life is reached.
By moving from the vānaprastha āśrama to yati/sannyāsa regulations, it demonstrates the text’s dharma-shastra coverage of life-stages (āśrama system), complementing its many other domains (ritual, polity, arts, etc.).
Renouncing saṅga (attachment/company) is presented as a direct support for jñāna and mokṣa: reducing karmic entanglement and stabilizing the mind for liberation-oriented practice.