Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 76
Dīkṣāvidhi-kathana
Explanation of the Rite of Initiation
दग्ध्वा मायामयं पाशं प्रव्रज्य स्वात्मनि स्थितः शरीरपातमाकाङ्क्षन्नासीताव्यक्तलिङ्गवान्
dagdhvā māyāmayaṃ pāśaṃ pravrajya svātmani sthitaḥ śarīrapātamākāṅkṣannāsītāvyaktaliṅgavān
ಮಾಯಾಮಯ ಪಾಶವನ್ನು ದಹಿಸಿ, ಪ್ರವ್ರಜ್ಯೆಯನ್ನು ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸಿ, ಸ್ವಾತ್ಮನಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿತನಾಗಿ, ಶರೀರಪಾತವನ್ನು ಆಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಾ, ಬಾಹ್ಯ ಲಿಂಗ (ಗುರುತು) ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸದೆ ಆಸೀನನಾಗಿ ಇದ್ದನು.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary dialogic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Model of advanced renunciation: sever the maya-bond, live established in the Self, remain without external identity-marks, and patiently await natural body-fall without craving worldly continuance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Avyakta-linga Sannyasin: Burning the Maya-pasha","lookup_keywords":["maya-pasha","pravrajya","svatmani-sthiti","avyakta-linga","sharira-pata"],"quick_summary":"The renunciant burns the noose of maya, abides in the Self, and lives without outward marks, awaiting the body’s fall in steady detachment."}
Concept: Liberation-oriented renunciation: destruction of avidya/maya bondage, establishment in atman, and transcendence of social markers (linga) while awaiting prarabdha’s exhaustion (body-fall).
Application: Cultivate non-identification (no reliance on external signs for status), sustain atma-nishtha through meditation and discrimination, and accept bodily decline without fear or indulgence—letting prarabdha end naturally.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Sannyasa-yoga (Renunciation and Liberation Teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A renunciant in minimal, unmarked appearance sits absorbed in the Self; a dark rope/noose labeled ‘maya’ is shown burning away; the body appears fragile, with a calm, luminous inner presence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ascetic seated under a tree, no distinctive sect marks, a stylized black noose dissolving in flame around him, inner golden aura steady, sparse forest backdrop, bold contours and earthy pigments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central ascetic with serene face, gold aura emphasizing atman-sthiti, burning maya-noose rendered with dramatic contrast, minimal ornaments, embossed gold for the inner light, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, contemplative instructional scene: ascetic without external insignia, subtle diagrammatic ‘maya-pasha’ burning, gentle shading, emphasis on still posture and inward gaze","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, solitary renunciant near a riverbank, thin body, calm eyes, a faint smoky noose evaporating into air, delicate landscape and restrained palette conveying quiet liberation"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svātmani = sva + ātmani; śarīrapātam + ākāṅkṣan → śarīrapātamākāṅkṣan; ākāṅkṣan + āsīt → ākāṅkṣannāsīt; āsīt + avyakta-liṅgavān → āsītāvyaktaliṅgavān
Related Themes: Agni Purana moksha-dharma teachings on vairagya and atma-nishtha; Agni Purana sannyasa-yoga descriptions of renouncer conduct
FAQs
It teaches the sannyāsa-vidhi in essence: renounce worldly bonds (māyā-pāśa), abide in ātma-niṣṭhā (establishment in the Self), and live without external identifiers (avyakta-liṅga), awaiting the natural dropping of the body.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves mokṣa-śāstra material—here summarizing renunciation psychology and the ascetic ideal—showing its coverage from practical disciplines to ultimate liberation doctrine.
Burning the māyā-fetter signifies cutting karmic attachment and ego-identification; abiding in the Self points to liberation-oriented conduct where death is seen as mere body-fall, not the self’s end.