Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 17
Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिर्भेदाभेदविवर्जितं अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिः सुषुप्तिस्थानवर्जितम्
ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotirbhedābhedavivarjitaṃ ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotiḥ suṣuptisthānavarjitam
Yo soy Brahman, la Luz suprema, más allá de la diferencia y de la no diferencia. Yo soy Brahman, la Luz suprema, no tocado por el estado llamado sueño profundo (suṣupti).
Lord Agni (narrator) to sage Vasiṣṭha (traditional Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Advaita-Vedanta","practical_application":"Discriminate turīya from waking/dream/deep sleep by recognizing the Self as ever-luminous, not a state (including suṣupti) and beyond relational categories like difference/non-difference.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Beyond Bheda-Abheda and Beyond Suṣupti (Turīya Indication)","lookup_keywords":["bheda abheda","suṣupti","turīya","parama jyotis","advaita"],"quick_summary":"Teaches that Brahman is not captured by either difference or non-difference and is not confined to deep sleep. Practical takeaway: do not mistake blankness for realization; seek the ever-present witness."}
Alamkara Type: Anaphora; conceptual paradox (bhedābheda-vivarjana)
Concept: The Self is beyond bheda/abheda dialectics and is not a sleep-state; it is the constant illuminator of all states.
Application: In meditation, note the changing states; identify as the unchanging awareness that knows waking, dream, and the memory of deep sleep.
Khanda Section: Vedanta / Atma-jnana (Brahma-vidya, Advaita-oriented instruction)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three panels showing waking, dream, and deep sleep fading into a fourth, formless radiance; the yogin stands beyond the panels, untouched.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, triptych of jāgrat/svapna/suṣupti motifs around a central blazing jyotis labeled turīya, yogin in serene posture, decorative lotus borders, saturated pigments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, fourfold composition with gold-leaf central turīya halo, three smaller medallions for waking/dream/sleep, embossed gold highlights, deep maroon background","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional avasthā-traya chart with elegant figures for waking and dream, a dark calm field for suṣupti, and a luminous unbounded center, fine lines and soft gradients","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative sequence: court scene (waking), fantastical dream scene, sleeping figure, then an abstract luminous field; delicate borders and calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ज्योतिर्भेदाभेदविवर्जितम् = ज्योतिः + भेदाभेद + विवर्जितम् (विसर्ग-लोपः, र्-आदेशः). सुषुप्तिस्थानवर्जितम् = सुषुप्ति + स्थान + वर्जितम् (तत्पुरुष).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 377.16 (niravayava); Agni Purana 377.18 (prājña-negation)
FAQs
Brahma-vidyā: a contemplative formula of Self-identification with Brahman as the “supreme Light,” used for nididhyāsana (deep meditation) to negate conceptual extremes (difference/non-difference) and stabilize non-dual awareness.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves Vedāntic soteriology—here presenting a concise non-dual teaching that functions like a meditative mahāvākya-style instruction within its wide-ranging compendium.
By recognizing the Self as Brahman—luminous consciousness not limited by waking, dream, or deep sleep—one weakens ignorance (avidyā), leading toward liberation (mokṣa) rather than merit limited to ritual outcomes.