Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Āsana–Prāṇāyāma–Pratyāhāra
Posture, Breath-control, and Withdrawal of the Senses
इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वं यत् स्वर्गनरकावुभौ निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च
indriyāṇyeva tatsarvaṃ yat svarganarakāvubhau nigṛhītavisṛṣṭāni svargāya narakāya ca
તે સર્વ ખરેખર ઇન્દ્રિયો જ છે; સ્વર્ગ અને નરક—બન્ને—ઇન્દ્રિયોથી જ ઉપજે છે. ઇન્દ્રિયો નિયંત્રિત હોય તો સ્વર્ગ આપે, અને છૂટેલી હોય તો નરક આપે.
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma/yoga teaching, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Ethical self-regulation: treat sense-restraint as the practical cause of uplift (svarga) and sense-indulgence as the cause of downfall (naraka).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Indriyas as the cause of Svarga and Naraka","lookup_keywords":["indriya","svarga","naraka","nigraha","visarga"],"quick_summary":"Heaven and hell are traced to the senses: restrained senses elevate, unrestrained senses degrade—making self-control the hinge of karmic outcome."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha
Concept: Karmic polarity is rooted in indriya-vyapara: restraint (nigraha) yields auspicious gati; indulgence (visarga) yields suffering.
Application: Use a daily audit: identify one sense habit to restrain; replace it with a sattvic alternative (silence, moderation, mindful intake).
Khanda Section: Moksha-Dharma / Yoga-Śāstra (Mind–sense control and karmic consequence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split scene: on one side a person restraining senses ascending toward a luminous realm; on the other, senses unleashed pulling one toward a dark abyss—showing svarga and naraka as outcomes of indriya control.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel composition, left: calm ascetic with controlled senses and bright aura; right: chaotic figure dragged by stylized sense-animals into dark reds, strong outlines, symbolic flames and clouds","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, symmetrical diptych with gold work: svarga side with celestial motifs and lotuses; naraka side with darker tones, restrained but clear iconography, ornate frame separating outcomes","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic illustration: labeled arrows ‘nigraha→svarga’ and ‘visarga→naraka’, gentle colors, fine linework, emphasis on moral instruction","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, allegorical garden vs wasteland: refined figure practicing restraint in a pavilion; indulgent figure amid tavern-like distractions leading to a shadowy ravine, intricate detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इन्द्रियाण्येव → इन्द्रियाणि + एव; तत्सर्वं → तत् + सर्वम्; स्वर्गनरकावुभौ → स्वर्गनरकौ + उभौ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Moksha-dharma passages on karma, gati, and indriya-samyama (same khanda)
FAQs
It imparts the practical yoga-ethical principle of indriya-nigraha: restraining the senses is taught as the operative method that conduces to higher states (svarga), while sense-indulgence (visṛṣṭa-indriya) drives downfall (naraka).
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purana also preserves concise yoga-psychology: it frames moral destiny (svarga/naraka) through a behavioral mechanism—sense governance—showing its wide-ranging, systematizing approach to human life.
It locates karmic outcome in inner discipline: mastery of the senses purifies conduct and supports meritorious karma, whereas unrestrained craving and aversion generate actions that ripen into suffering.