Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 59
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
गजो यो ऽयमधो ब्रह्मन्नुपर्येष स भूपतिः ऋतुराह गजः को ऽत्र राजा चाह निदाघकः
gajo yo 'yamadho brahmannuparyeṣa sa bhūpatiḥ ṛturāha gajaḥ ko 'tra rājā cāha nidāghakaḥ
「おお婆羅門よ、下にいる象こそが王であり、上にいる者が地の主である。」リトゥはこう言った。すると王は「ではここで、どちらが象なのか」と問うた。ニダーガカは答えた。
Narrative example within Agni Purana’s Sahitya-shastra section (dialogue attributed to Ṛtu, the king, and Nidāghaka as characters in an illustrative anecdote)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Teaching role-reversal and relational identity through dialogue—useful for illustrating poetic ambiguity, dramatic irony, and conceptual confusion.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Relational Identity Joke: ‘Which is Elephant, Which is King?’","lookup_keywords":["rūpaka","saṃvāda","vyājokti","rāja-gaja","bhrānti"],"quick_summary":"By swapping labels (elephant/king) based on ‘above/below,’ the dialogue demonstrates how meaning can hinge on standpoint—an instructive example for poetics and dramatic exchange."}
Alamkara Type: Bhrāntimān / Vyājokti (intentional misdesignation creating comic-ironical confusion)
Concept: Ego and status are relational; ‘king’ depends on supports (vehicle, subjects), so fixed identity is questioned through perspective-shift.
Application: Cultivate humility by recognizing dependence on supports and roles; in debate/teaching, use controlled paradox to reveal assumptions.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Rupaka/Alankara—Dramatic and poetic dialogue examples)
Primary Rasa: hāsya
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A humorous exchange: the king points downward at the elephant and upward at himself while the sage’s words cause confusion—‘Which is elephant, which is king?’","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, expressive hand gestures, king and sage in animated dialogue beside a large elephant, onlookers reacting with restrained smiles, bold contours","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king and sage near richly adorned elephant, gold leaf on ornaments, subtle comedic mood through facial expressions and gesture symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative panels: statement, king’s question, sage’s reply; fine facial expressions to convey hāsya without caricature","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly humor scene with elephant and attendants, delicate expressions, marginal notes/captions for the punchline"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"light-instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: योऽयम् = यः + अयम्; ब्रह्मन्नुपरि = ब्रह्मन् + उपरि; उपर्येष = उपरि + एषः; ऋतुराह = ऋतुः + आह; कोऽत्र = कः + अत्र; चाह = च + आह.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 379.60 (explicit ‘above/below’ dṛṣṭānta)
FAQs
This verse imparts Sahitya-shastra (poetics) knowledge by modeling stylized dialogue and semantic play (who is ‘elephant’ vs. ‘king’ based on ‘above/below’), useful for understanding rhetorical construction in kavya.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana teaches Sanskrit literary theory by embedding compact examples that demonstrate how meaning shifts through context, speaker-intent, and relational terms like ‘above/below’—a hallmark of its encyclopedic scope.
Indirectly, it encourages discernment (viveka) in interpreting speech and status—training the mind to avoid superficial judgments based on position (‘above/below’) and to seek precise meaning, a virtue aligned with dharmic conduct.