Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 7
Granthaprasthāvanā (Preface): Sāra of Knowledge, Twofold Brahman, and the Purpose of Avatāras
व्यास उवाच शुकाद्यैः शृणु सूत त्वं वशिष्ठो मां यथाब्रवीत् ब्रह्मसारं हि पृच्छन्तं मुनिभिश् च परात्परम्
vyāsa uvāca śukādyaiḥ śṛṇu sūta tvaṃ vaśiṣṭho māṃ yathābravīt brahmasāraṃ hi pṛcchantaṃ munibhiś ca parātparam
វ្យាសៈមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «ឱ សូតៈ ចូរស្តាប់—ខ្ញុំនឹងប្រាប់តាមពិតដូចដែលវសិષ્ઠៈបាននិយាយមកខ្ញុំ ពេលខ្ញុំជាមួយស៊ូកៈ និងមុនីទាំងឡាយ សួរអំពីសារសំខាន់ដ៏លើសលប់ និងអតីតលើសនៃព្រហ្ម»។
Vyasa
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Frames brahma-vidyā as received through an unbroken teacher-line (Vasiṣṭha → Vyāsa → Sūta), guiding how to authenticate and transmit metaphysical instruction.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Saṃpradāya of Brahma-sāra (Vasiṣṭha → Vyāsa → Sūta)","lookup_keywords":["Vasiṣṭha","Sūta","Vyāsa","Brahma-sāra","para-at-para"],"quick_summary":"Vyāsa instructs Sūta to listen to the supreme Brahman-essence exactly as Vasiṣṭha taught him—highlighting faithful transmission as the basis of Purāṇic authority."}
Concept: Brahman as para-at-para (transcendent beyond the transcendent) and knowable through disciplined inquiry under a realized teacher.
Application: Treat metaphysical teachings as lineage-bound: learn from a qualified source and transmit without distortion.
Khanda Section: Purana-Samvada (Frame Dialogue & Transmission of Brahma-vidya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Vyāsa addresses Sūta, recounting how Vasiṣṭha taught him the supreme Brahman-essence when questioned by sages including Śuka.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, Vyāsa gesturing in teaching mudrā toward seated Sūta, faint vignette of Vasiṣṭha in the background as a narrative inset, bold flat colors, serene scholarly mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Vyāsa with radiant halo and gold leaf, Sūta listening with folded hands, decorative pillars and manuscript stand, rich ornamented frame, devotional authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined faces and soft shading, Vyāsa narrating with a palm-leaf manuscript, Sūta attentive, subtle background showing sages in assembly, calm instructional tone.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate teacher-student conversation in an āśrama courtyard, detailed textiles and foliage, a secondary panel-like depiction of Vasiṣṭha teaching Vyāsa, fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यथाब्रवीत् = यथा + अब्रवीत्; मुनिभिश् च = मुनिभिः + च (visarga before palatal becomes ś).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 1.8 (twofold Brahman); Agni Purana 1.9-1.10 (textual praise: bhukti-mukti)
FAQs
This verse establishes Brahma-vidyā as the primary knowledge being sought—specifically the “brahma-sāra,” the essential doctrine of Brahman—rather than a ritual procedure or applied science.
It sets the Purāṇic “knowledge-transmission frame” (teacher–student lineage and authoritative sourcing). This framing legitimizes later encyclopedic topics—ritual, polity, medicine, architecture, and poetics—by rooting them in a recognized chain of sages and a highest metaphysical inquiry.
The verse highlights śravaṇa (attentive listening) and sincere inquiry into the Supreme as spiritually purifying and foundational—positioning the pursuit of Brahman’s truth as the highest aim that sanctifies subsequent teachings.