Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 7
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
नैव तस्य कृते नार्थो नाकृते नेह कश् चनः तत्त्ववित्तु महावहो गुणकर्मविभागयोः
naiva tasya kṛte nārtho nākṛte neha kaś canaḥ tattvavittu mahāvaho guṇakarmavibhāgayoḥ
Wahai yang berlengan perkasa! Bagi sang pengetahu-tattva, di sini tidak ada tujuan yang dicapai oleh perbuatan, dan tidak pula ada kerugian karena tidak berbuat; sebab ia memahami pembedaan sejati antara guṇa dan karma.
Lord Agni (instructing a royal/heroic interlocutor; typical vocative: mahābāho)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Reduce doership-pride and guilt by understanding guṇa-karma mechanics; perform necessary roles without imagining ultimate gain/loss for the realized Self.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Guṇa–karma-vibhāga and the jñānī’s freedom from ‘done/undone’ calculus","lookup_keywords":["tattvavit","guna-karma-vibhaga","naiva tasya krte","akrite","nishkama"],"quick_summary":"For the knower of truth, neither action nor inaction yields ultimate personal profit or loss, because he discerns that actions arise from guṇas interacting with guṇas, not from the Self."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa (subtle alliteration) and Virodha (done/undone)
Concept: Tattva-jñāna: the Self is akartā; guṇas and karma belong to prakṛti. Hence the realized one is not bound by ‘I achieved/I failed’.
Application: When evaluating outcomes, shift language from ‘I did’ to ‘actions occurred through roles/conditions’; keep ethical duty, drop egoic accounting.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara and allied philosophical-ethical instruction)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Veera
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A warrior-listener (Arjuna archetype) stands respectfully as a sage-teacher points to a wheel of three guṇas driving various actions; the Self is shown as a still center beyond the wheel.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, teacher and disciple in profile, large stylized chakra-wheel labeled sattva-rajas-tamas in Sanskrit-like glyphs, central lotus as Self, earthy pigments and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate guṇa-wheel with gold embossing, teacher gesturing, disciple with folded hands, rich reds and greens, gold highlighting the unmoving center (ātman)","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional diagram aesthetic: guṇa-wheel, arrows to action-scenes (work, rest, conflict), calm teacher figure, fine gold lines and pastel background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly setting with philosophical discourse, detailed circular diagram on a scroll, subtle symbolism of still center, intricate textiles and architectural framing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव → न + एव; नार्थो → न + अर्थः; नाकृते → न + अकृते; नेह → न + इह; कश् चनः → कः + चन (कश्चन); तत्त्ववित्तु → तत्त्ववित् + तु
Related Themes: Agni Purana ch. 380 verses on guṇas, non-attachment, and knowledge as liberating raft/fire
FAQs
It imparts tattva-jñāna applied to conduct: discerning guṇas (sattva–rajas–tamas) from karma (actions), so one is not bound by anxiety over doing or not doing.
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves concise philosophical-ethical instruction; this verse summarizes a key doctrinal point about action, non-action, and the guṇas.
It points to freedom from karmic bondage through right understanding: when one knows the truth and the guṇa–karma distinction, actions no longer generate the same binding sense of gain or loss.