Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 6
Śānti-Śodhana-Kathana (Instruction on the Purification of Śānti) — Agni Purāṇa, Adhyāya 87
इन्द्रिये त्वक्करावस्या स्पर्शस्तु विषयो मतः गुणौ स्पर्शनिनादौ द्वावेकः कारणमीश्वरः
indriye tvakkarāvasyā sparśastu viṣayo mataḥ guṇau sparśaninādau dvāvekaḥ kāraṇamīśvaraḥ
Pour cette faculté sensorielle — la peau (tvak) — l’objet (viṣaya) est tenu pour être le toucher. Ses qualités sont au nombre de deux : le contact tactile et le son ; tandis que la cause ultime, unique, est le Seigneur (Īśvara).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Sense-analysis for meditation and discrimination: identify indriya, its viṣaya, associated guṇas, and trace causality to Īśvara to reduce sensory entanglement.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Tvak-indriya: Viṣaya (Sparśa), Guṇa (Sparśa/Nināda), Kāraṇa (Īśvara)","lookup_keywords":["tvak indriya","sparśa viṣaya","guṇa","nināda","Īśvara kāraṇa"],"quick_summary":"Defines the skin sense-faculty and its object (touch), notes associated qualities, and asserts a single ultimate cause—Īśvara—supporting a theistic Sāṅkhya–Yoga framing."}
Dosha: Vata
Concept: Indriya–viṣaya mapping and guṇa enumeration, culminating in a unifying causal principle (Īśvara).
Application: In pratyāhāra practice, label experiences as ‘touch-object’ and ‘sound-quality’, then return attention to the witnessing cause (Īśvara) to weaken identification.
Khanda Section: Sankhya–Yoga / Tattva-nirupana (Indriya–Vishaya–Guna analysis)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic teaching scene: a teacher points to a diagram linking ‘tvak’ to ‘sparśa’, with two qualities indicated, and a single causal apex labeled Īśvara.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: guru-disciple scene inside a temple corridor, palm-leaf diagram showing tvak→sparśa, two guṇa markers, apex Īśvara, warm lamp-lit tones and stylized faces","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate framed teaching tableau with gold accents, central diagram medallion labeled Tvak/Sparśa/Guṇa/Īśvara, rich colors, devotional scholastic mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: clear didactic chart with elegant figures, labeled arrows tvak to sparśa, two guṇa bubbles (sparśa, nināda), top node Īśvara, precise linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: philosopher and students with a folio diagram, fine calligraphy labels, restrained palette, emphasis on intellectual discourse"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्पर्शस्तु = स्पर्शः + तु; कारणमीश्वरः = कारणम् + ईश्वरः (म् + ई → मी)। ‘त्वक्करावस्या’ पाठः सन्धि/पाठभेद-सम्भाव्यः; पदच्छेदः: त्वक् + कर + अवस्या (अनिश्चित)।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 87 (Tattva-nirūpaṇa: indriya–viṣaya–guṇa sequence)
FAQs
It imparts tattva-vidyā (metaphysical analysis): identifying the skin as the touch-sense, defining its sense-object (touch), listing its associated qualities, and pointing to Īśvara as the ultimate causal principle.
By systematizing knowledge in a quasi-Sāṅkhya framework—mapping sense-faculties to objects and qualities—it shows the Purana’s coverage beyond mythology into philosophical taxonomy and technical doctrinal instruction.
It supports inner purification through discernment (viveka): understanding sensory operation and tracing causality to Īśvara helps reduce sense-identification and strengthens contemplative orientation toward the supreme cause.