Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 2
Chapter 369 — शरीरावयवाः
The Limbs/Organs and Constituents of the Body
पायूपस्थौ करौ पादौ वाग्भवेत् कर्मखुन्तथा उत्सर्गानन्दकादानगतिवागादि कर्म तत्
pāyūpasthau karau pādau vāgbhavet karmakhuntathā utsargānandakādānagativāgādi karma tat
L’anus et les organes génitaux, les mains, les pieds et la parole : tels sont dits les organes de l’action (karmendriya). Leurs fonctions respectives sont l’excrétion, la jouissance sexuelle, la saisie/la prise, la locomotion et la parole, et autres du même ordre.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, per the usual Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Subtle-body and functional anatomy: classifies karmendriyas and their actions, foundational for yogic restraint, ritual purity disciplines, and psycho-physiological mapping.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Karmendriya and their karmas (Organs of action)","lookup_keywords":["karmendriya","pāyu","upastha","pāṇi","pāda","vāk"],"quick_summary":"Defines the five organs of action—anus, genitals, hands, feet, speech—and assigns their functions: excretion, sexual enjoyment, grasping, locomotion, and speaking."}
Dosha: Vata
Concept: Mastery of action-channels (karmendriyas) is prerequisite for self-control; actions bind unless regulated.
Application: Supports yama/niyama and pratyāhāra: moderate sexuality, truthful measured speech, mindful movement, and disciplined elimination habits.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Tantra (Karma-indriya–Vishaya-Nirupana / Subtle-body taxonomy)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic showing five organs of action with icons: anus (excretion), genitals (sexual function), hands (grasping), feet (movement), mouth (speech), arranged around a central subtle-body figure.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized human figure with five highlighted action-centers; Agni or a yogin-teacher instructing; symbolic motifs for each karma; traditional mural palette and ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted icons for the five karmas around a central seated yogin; ornate border; labels in Devanagari for pāyu, upastha, pāṇi, pāda, vāk.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: clear instructional diagram with gentle shading; teacher pointing to each karmendriya and its function; minimal background for readability.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: a didactic scene of a philosopher explaining a chart of karmendriyas to students; fine detailing, calligraphy captions, indoor scholarly setting."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वाग्भवेत् = वाक् + भवेत्; कर्मखुन्तथा read as कर्म + खु + तथा (particle ‘खु’ uncertain); long compound utsargānandakādānagativāgādi segmented as a list-compound with ‘आदि’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 369.1 (jñānendriya taxonomy); Agni Purana 369 (avayava/indriya continuation)
FAQs
It gives a yogic-technical classification of the five karma-indriyas (organs of action) and maps each to its primary function—excretion, sexual enjoyment, grasping, locomotion, and speech—used in Tantra/Yoga analysis of the body and practice.
Alongside rituals and mythology, the Agni Purana preserves systematic schemas found in Yoga/Sāṃkhya-style teaching—here, a compact physiological-functional taxonomy—showing its wide coverage of practical and philosophical knowledge.
By identifying actions with their respective organs, the verse supports self-observation and restraint (saṃyama): recognizing how karma arises through bodily channels is foundational for purification of conduct and disciplined spiritual practice.