Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 34
Chapter 381 — यमगीता
Yama-gītā
पौनःपुन्येन तत्रैव विषयेष्वेव धारणा ध्यानं स्मृतं समाधिस्तु अहं ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः
paunaḥpunyena tatraiva viṣayeṣveva dhāraṇā dhyānaṃ smṛtaṃ samādhistu ahaṃ brahmātmasaṃsthitiḥ
Par la pratique répétée, fixer l’esprit là même, uniquement sur cet objet, est appelé dhāraṇā (concentration). Dhyāna est ainsi défini comme contemplation soutenue; quant au samādhi, il est la demeure dans la réalisation «Je suis Brahman», établie dans le Soi (Ātman).
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s yoga/knowledge section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"Clarifies the progression: repeated dharana matures into dhyana, culminating in samadhi as Advaitic self-abidance (‘aham brahma’).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dharana–Dhyana–Samadhi: Repetition to Aham-Brahmasmi Abidance","lookup_keywords":["dhyana","samadhi","aham brahma","abhyasa","advaita"],"quick_summary":"Repeated concentration becomes sustained contemplation (dhyana), and samadhi is defined here as firm establishment in the realization of identity with Brahman."}
Concept: Samadhi is framed as Advaita-vedantic realization: the ‘I’ is Brahman, established in the Self.
Application: Use repeated practice to stabilize attention; let contemplation become continuous; culminate by dissolving subject-object duality into self-abidance in nondual awareness.
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya (Dhyana–Dharana–Samadhi; Vedantic contemplation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three-stage tableau: (1) focused mind on one object, (2) continuous stream of attention, (3) dissolution into luminous nondual Self with the inscription ‘अहं ब्रह्म’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych, left panel: yogi focusing on lotus; middle: flowing continuous light-stream from mind to object; right: yogi merged into radiant mandala with Devanagari ‘अहं ब्रह्म’, earthy reds/ochres, bold contours.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore triptych with gold leaf: dharana (single lotus), dhyana (unbroken garland-like light), samadhi (golden field with ‘अहं ब्रह्म’), ornate borders, devotional luminosity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional sequence, clean composition showing progression, subtle annotations implied, soft pastel background, emphasis on continuity of attention and final nondual radiance.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature in three registers, refined detailing: lamp-flame focus, then continuous gaze, then abstract luminous wash around the yogi with calligraphic ‘aham brahma’, delicate palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्रैव = तत्र एव; विषयेष्वेव = विषयेषु एव; समाधिस्तु = समाधिः तु; ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः = ब्रह्म-आत्म-संस्थितिः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 381.33 (dharana); Agni Purana 381.35–381.36 (jivanmukti/identity with Brahman)
FAQs
It teaches Yoga-vidyā: the technical progression from dhāraṇā (repeated fixation on an object) to dhyāna (sustained contemplation) and finally samādhi defined as Self-abidance in the realization “I am Brahman.”
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana catalogs practical soteriological disciplines; this verse functions like a concise yogic-vedāntic definition set, showing the text’s coverage of meditation theory alongside other sciences and arts.
It frames liberation-oriented practice: repeated concentration matures into meditative absorption culminating in non-dual Self-knowledge, which is presented as the decisive inner establishment that dissolves ignorance and its karmic binding.