Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 10
Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिः समानपरिवर्जितं अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिर्जरामरणवर्जितं
ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotiḥ samānaparivarjitaṃ ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotirjarāmaraṇavarjitaṃ
मैं ब्रह्म हूँ—परम ज्योति—जो किसी तुलना और समता से रहित है। मैं ब्रह्म हूँ—परम ज्योति—जो जरा और मृत्यु से रहित है।
Lord Agni (teaching Brahma-jnana in the Agni Purana’s moksha-oriented discourse, traditionally addressed to the sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Advaita nididhyāsana through repeated mahāvākya-style self-affirmation to dissolve dehābhimāna (body-identification) and fear of death.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Ahaṃ Brahma—Paramajyotis (Nirupama, Ajara-Amara)","lookup_keywords":["ahaṃ brahma","parama-jyotis","nirupama","ajara-amara","advaita-nididhyāsana"],"quick_summary":"A contemplative formula asserting the Self as Brahman, the incomparable supreme Light, untouched by aging and death; used for steady abidance in non-dual awareness."}
Alamkara Type: Anaphora (punarukti)
Concept: Ātman is Brahman (parama-jyotis), beyond all upamāna-upameya (comparison) and beyond jarā-maraṇa.
Application: Daily japa-like contemplation: negate mortality-thoughts by resting in the witness-light; use during fear, grief, or death-anxiety.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Brahma-jnana (Advaita-oriented Self-knowledge teaching)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solitary yogin seated in padmāsana within a dark cave-like space; from the heart/forehead radiates a vast, formless golden-white light labeled ‘parama-jyotis’, while symbols of old age and death (withered leaf, skull) dissolve at the periphery.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, a meditating rishi with serene face, halo expanding into abstract golden mandala, fading motifs of jarā and maraṇa at borders, flat decorative patterns, sacred minimalism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central seated yogin with embossed gold-leaf aureole representing parama-jyotis, rich jewel tones, ornamental frame, subtle dissolving icons of aging and death outside the gold halo.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, soft shading, instructional composition: yogin + radiating light diagram, small captions ‘nirupama’ and ‘ajara-amara’, calm palette, delicate gesso highlights.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a sage in a dim pavilion, luminous wash of light filling the page, symbolic objects of mortality rendered realistically but fading, precise detailing, restrained gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ज्योतिः + जरा… → ज्योतिर् जरा… (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः)।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 377 (Brahma-jñāna / mokṣa-dharma sequence)
FAQs
It imparts Brahma-vidya (Self-knowledge): the contemplative assertion “I am Brahman, the supreme Light,” used as a meditative recognition to dissolve identification with mortality.
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves moksha-shastra material—concise non-dual contemplations that function as a practical liberative discipline within its wide-ranging compendium.
By internalizing identity with the deathless Brahman rather than the perishable body-mind, the practitioner cultivates detachment and liberation-oriented insight, weakening fear of aging and death and directing karma toward moksha.