Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 59
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
गजो यो ऽयमधो ब्रह्मन्नुपर्येष स भूपतिः ऋतुराह गजः को ऽत्र राजा चाह निदाघकः
gajo yo 'yamadho brahmannuparyeṣa sa bhūpatiḥ ṛturāha gajaḥ ko 'tra rājā cāha nidāghakaḥ
«Ô brāhmane, l’éléphant qui est en bas est le roi ; celui qui est au-dessus est le seigneur de la terre.» Ainsi parla Ṛtu. Alors le roi demanda : «Lequel ici est l’éléphant ?», et Nidāghaka répondit.
Narrative example within Agni Purana’s Sahitya-shastra section (dialogue attributed to Ṛtu, the king, and Nidāghaka as characters in an illustrative anecdote)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Teaching role-reversal and relational identity through dialogue—useful for illustrating poetic ambiguity, dramatic irony, and conceptual confusion.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Relational Identity Joke: ‘Which is Elephant, Which is King?’","lookup_keywords":["rūpaka","saṃvāda","vyājokti","rāja-gaja","bhrānti"],"quick_summary":"By swapping labels (elephant/king) based on ‘above/below,’ the dialogue demonstrates how meaning can hinge on standpoint—an instructive example for poetics and dramatic exchange."}
Alamkara Type: Bhrāntimān / Vyājokti (intentional misdesignation creating comic-ironical confusion)
Concept: Ego and status are relational; ‘king’ depends on supports (vehicle, subjects), so fixed identity is questioned through perspective-shift.
Application: Cultivate humility by recognizing dependence on supports and roles; in debate/teaching, use controlled paradox to reveal assumptions.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Rupaka/Alankara—Dramatic and poetic dialogue examples)
Primary Rasa: hāsya
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humorous exchange: the king points downward at the elephant and upward at himself while the sage’s words cause confusion—‘Which is elephant, which is king?’","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, expressive hand gestures, king and sage in animated dialogue beside a large elephant, onlookers reacting with restrained smiles, bold contours","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king and sage near richly adorned elephant, gold leaf on ornaments, subtle comedic mood through facial expressions and gesture symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative panels: statement, king’s question, sage’s reply; fine facial expressions to convey hāsya without caricature","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly humor scene with elephant and attendants, delicate expressions, marginal notes/captions for the punchline"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"light-instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: योऽयम् = यः + अयम्; ब्रह्मन्नुपरि = ब्रह्मन् + उपरि; उपर्येष = उपरि + एषः; ऋतुराह = ऋतुः + आह; कोऽत्र = कः + अत्र; चाह = च + आह.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 379.60 (explicit ‘above/below’ dṛṣṭānta)
FAQs
This verse imparts Sahitya-shastra (poetics) knowledge by modeling stylized dialogue and semantic play (who is ‘elephant’ vs. ‘king’ based on ‘above/below’), useful for understanding rhetorical construction in kavya.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana teaches Sanskrit literary theory by embedding compact examples that demonstrate how meaning shifts through context, speaker-intent, and relational terms like ‘above/below’—a hallmark of its encyclopedic scope.
Indirectly, it encourages discernment (viveka) in interpreting speech and status—training the mind to avoid superficial judgments based on position (‘above/below’) and to seek precise meaning, a virtue aligned with dharmic conduct.