Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 50
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
पुमान् सर्वगतो व्यापी आकाशवदयं यतः अतो ऽहं प्रत्यगात्मास्मीत्येतदर्थे भवेत् कथं
pumān sarvagato vyāpī ākāśavadayaṃ yataḥ ato 'haṃ pratyagātmāsmītyetadarthe bhavet kathaṃ
このプルシャ（自己）は虚空のごとく遍満し、あまねく浸透するというのに、どうして「ゆえに我は内なる自己（pratyagātman）である」という言明の趣旨が成立し得ようか。
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in a Vedāntic/ātma-jñāna context)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Guides Advaitic inquiry into the meaning of ‘pratyagātman’ by reconciling all-pervasiveness with inwardness; also invites semantic analysis of key terms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Pratyagātman and the All-Pervading Self (Ākāśa-Dṛṣṭānta)","lookup_keywords":["pratyagātman","ākāśa","sarvagata","vyāpī","ātma-vicāra"],"quick_summary":"If the Self is all-pervading like space, ‘inner Self’ is not a spatial inside but the immediate, self-revealing awareness; the verse prompts precise inquiry into how language points to non-local consciousness."}
Alamkara Type: Dṛṣṭānta (ākāśa-upamā)
Concept: Non-local Self: ‘inner’ means immediate (pratyak/within as self-evident), not spatially enclosed; ākāśa analogy for pervasion without contact.
Application: In meditation/inquiry, turn attention from objects to the knower: recognize awareness as present everywhere yet directly known as ‘I’.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Vedanta/Atma-jnana; inquiry into the inner Self)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A philosophical moment: the teacher points to the sky/space as an analogy for the all-pervading Self, questioning how ‘inner Self’ can be asserted.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sage pointing toward an expansive sky with stylized clouds, subtle aura indicating omnipresence, disciple pondering, deep blues and earthy tones, contemplative temple aesthetic.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central sage with gold halo, background dominated by a symbolic sky-space field, gold work highlighting the ‘ākāśa’ expanse, disciple in reverent inquiry posture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic scene with clear gesture to the sky, minimal background, fine linework; include a small inset showing ‘inner’ as heart-space (hṛdayākāśa) to convey non-spatial inwardness.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined landscape with vast sky gradient, sage and student seated on a terrace, pointing gesture upward, delicate rendering of space and light to suggest pervasion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आकाशवदयं = आकाशवत् + अयम्; अतोऽहम् = अतः + अहम्; प्रत्यगात्मास्मि = प्रत्यगात्मा + अस्मि; अस्मीत्येतदर्थे = अस्मि + इति + एतदर्थे.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 379.49 (deha-dharma negation leading to Self)
FAQs
Ātma-vidyā (knowledge of the Self): it frames a Vedāntic problem—if the Self is all-pervading like space, how the identity-claim “I am the inner Self (pratyagātman)” is to be logically established.
Alongside ritual and practical sciences, the Agni Purana includes rigorous philosophical inquiry (Vedānta). This verse exemplifies its inclusion of epistemic and metaphysical analysis—using a classic analogy (ākāśa) to test the meaning of Self-identity statements.
It directs the reader toward discernment of the inner Self beyond bodily identity; such clarity is traditionally held to reduce ignorance (avidyā), the root of bondage, and support liberation-oriented practice (mokṣa-sādhana).