Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Chapter 373 — ध्यानम्
Dhyāna / Meditation
यज्ञाद्यं कर्म सन्त्यज्य योगमत्यर्थमभ्यसेत् विकारमुक्तमव्यक्तं भोग्यभोगसमन्वितं
yajñādyaṃ karma santyajya yogamatyarthamabhyaset vikāramuktamavyaktaṃ bhogyabhogasamanvitaṃ
यज्ञ आदि कर्मों को त्यागकर योग का अत्यन्त अभ्यास करना चाहिए—उस अव्यक्त का चिन्तन करते हुए जो विकारों से रहित है, और जो भोग्य पदार्थों तथा भोग-अनुभव दोनों से संबद्ध भी है।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga-vidya","practical_application":"Practice intense yoga-abhyāsa grounded in metaphysical contemplation of the Avyakta and the relation between experiencer, experience, and objects—supporting detachment from ritual action.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Renunciation of Ritual Action and Contemplation of the Avyakta in Yoga","lookup_keywords":["yajñādi-karma-tyāga","avyakta","vikāra-mukta","bhogya-bhoga","yoga-abhyāsa"],"quick_summary":"The verse instructs abandoning karma beginning with yajña and undertaking rigorous yoga, contemplating the unmanifest, changeless ground that is nonetheless connected with both objects and the process of enjoyment/experience."}
Concept: Sāṅkhya-Yoga framing: the avyakta is vikāra-mukta (free of modification) yet appears in relation to bhogya (objects) and bhoga (enjoyment/experience), prompting viveka and disidentification from karma.
Application: During meditation, observe the triad—object, experience, experiencer—then trace attention back to the unmanifest ground; support this with karma-sannyāsa (dropping identity in ritual-doership).
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya (Moksha-dharma / Sankhya-Yoga teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in deep meditation; behind him, ritual fires and implements recede into shadow. In the inner vision, a subtle unmanifest field is shown, with faint emergence of sense-objects and the act of experiencing, all held in a changeless backdrop.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: meditating sage with stylized inner-vision mandala behind the head—subtle dark field (avyakta) with emerging forms; ritual scene dimmed at the periphery; traditional ornamental frame.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold halo; background shows a dark, smooth ‘unmanifest’ panel with delicate gold outlines of sense-objects dissolving back; rich gold work emphasizing changelessness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic yet artistic—three icons labeled by implication (object, enjoyment, enjoyer) dissolving into a single subtle field; clean lines, soft colors, didactic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: interior meditation chamber; a faint translucent overlay depicts metaphysical symbols (cloudlike avyakta, dissolving objects); meticulous textiles and architecture, subdued contemplative palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yajñādyaṃ = यज्ञ-आद्यम्; atyartham = अति-अर्थम् (अव्ययीभाव); vikāramuktamavyaktaṃ = विकारमुक्तम् + अव्यक्तम्; bhogyabhogasamanvitaṃ = भोग्य-अभोग-समन्वितम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sāṅkhya enumeration and guṇa-traya meditation passages; Agni Purana: Mokṣa-dharma sections on karma-tyāga and yoga-abhyāsa
FAQs
It teaches Karma-tyāga (renunciation of sacrificial/ritual action) as a prerequisite for intensive Yoga-abhyāsa focused on the avyakta (the unmanifest principle).
Beyond ritual manuals, the Agni Purana also preserves systematic Mokṣa-śāstra material—Sāṅkhya-Yoga terminology (karma, avyakta, vikāra) and contemplative method—showing its coverage of both outward rites and inward liberation disciplines.
It redirects the seeker from merit-producing ritual karma to liberation-oriented practice, emphasizing realization of an unchanging (vikāra-mukta) principle as the basis for freedom from bondage created by enjoyment and non-enjoyment.