Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 43
Adhyāya 375 — समाधिः
Samādhi
दन्दशूकः पतङ्गो वा भवेद्कीटो ऽथवा कृमिः हृदये दीपवद्ब्रह्म ध्यानाज्जिवो मृतो भवेत्
dandaśūkaḥ pataṅgo vā bhavedkīṭo 'thavā kṛmiḥ hṛdaye dīpavadbrahma dhyānājjivo mṛto bhavet
Par la méditation, l’âme individuelle devient comme morte à l’identité mondaine. Qu’on devienne serpent, papillon de nuit, insecte ou ver—en contemplant Brahman dans le cœur tel une lampe, s’éteint chez le jīva le sentiment d’un moi séparé.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"Dhyana on the inner light (hṛdaya-dīpa) to dissolve dehābhimāna and stabilize jīva–brahma-aikya insight.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Hṛdaya-dīpa-dhyāna and extinction of jīva-ahaṅkāra","lookup_keywords":["hṛdaya-dīpa","brahma-dhyāna","jīva-nāśa","ahaṅkāra-kṣaya","samādhi-lakṣaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Meditate on Brahman in the heart as a steady lamp; the separate ‘I’ sense is extinguished, making the jīva ‘as if dead’ to worldly identity."}
Alamkara Type: Dṛṣṭānta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: Brahman is realized by inward dhyāna; ahaṅkāra and jīva-bheda subside in samādhi-like absorption.
Application: Use a single-pointed meditation on the ‘inner lamp’ (steady awareness) to weaken vāsanā-s and bodily identification.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Jnana (Dhyana, Jiva-Brahma-viveka)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in meditation, heart-lotus glowing with a steady lamp-flame symbolizing Brahman; around, faint silhouettes of serpent, moth, insect, worm as metaphors of transmigration fading away.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, seated yogin in padmāsana, stylized heart-lotus with golden lamp-flame, deep reds and ochres, minimal background, symbolic serpent and moth motifs dissolving into aura, sacred calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central meditating sage with embossed gold halo, heart-lotus inset with lamp-flame in gold leaf, ornate border, small symbolic creatures (serpent, moth, insect, worm) at corners fading into background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, instructional composition: yogin posture, labeled heart-lotus with lamp, subdued palette, emphasis on serene face and steady flame, metaphoric creatures rendered lightly as teaching aids.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate interior with a yogin on a mat, delicate rendering of a luminous heart-flame, naturalistic small creatures in margins as allegory, soft wash colors, contemplative atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेद्कीटो → भवेत् कीटः; ऽथवा → अथवा; दीपवद्ब्रह्म → दीपवत् ब्रह्म; ध्यानाज्जिवो → ध्यानात् जीवः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 375 (Samādhi chapter context); Agni Purana 376 (Brahma-jñāna opening)
FAQs
It teaches dhyāna-vidyā: fixing Brahman in the heart ‘like a lamp’ so that the jīva’s egoic, worldly identity becomes inactive—described as the jīva becoming ‘as if dead’ to saṃsāra.
Alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves concise Vedāntic-yogic instructions—here, a practical meditation formula and its transformative psychological-spiritual result.
The instruction points to inner renunciation: through steady Brahman-meditation, karmic identification with body and status weakens, leading toward liberation by dissolving the sense of separateness.