Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 27
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
न सन्ति यत्र सर्वेशे नामजात्यादिकल्पनाः सत्तामात्रात्मके ज्ञेये ज्ञानात्मन्यात्महः परे
na santi yatra sarveśe nāmajātyādikalpanāḥ sattāmātrātmake jñeye jñānātmanyātmahaḥ pare
ಆ ಸರ್ವೇಶ್ವರನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಸರು, ಜಾತಿ ಮೊದಲಾದ ಕಲ್ಪನೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲ. ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕಾದ ತತ್ತ್ವವು ಕೇವಲ ‘ಸತ್ತಾಮಾತ್ರ’ ಸ್ವರೂಪ; ಶುದ್ಧ ಜ್ಞಾನಸ್ವರೂಪವಾದ ಆ ಪರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಆತ್ಮಹಂತಕರು (ಅಜ್ಞಾನದಿಂದ ಆತ್ಮವನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡುವವರು) ನೆಲೆಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Negation of conceptual superimpositions (nāma-jāti-ādi) to stabilize nirvikalpa understanding of Brahman as pure Being-Consciousness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Brahman Beyond Nāma–Jāti (Conceptual Constructions)","lookup_keywords":["nāma","jāti","kalpanā","sattā-mātra","jñāna-ātman"],"quick_summary":"The Supreme is free from name/class constructs; the knowable reality is mere Being, and the Supreme is pure Knowledge. Ignorance that ‘kills the Self’ cannot remain there—pointing to liberation as removal of avidyā."}
Alamkara Type: Vyatireka (by negation)
Concept: Brahman/Īśvara is beyond linguistic and categorical constructions; reality is ‘sattā-mātra’ and ‘jñāna-svarūpa’. Avidyā is self-destructive (‘ātma-han’) and cannot coexist with realized Brahman-knowledge.
Application: Apply neti-neti to name/form/class identifications; meditate on ‘sat-cit’ as the invariant, reducing reification of concepts and social/mental labels.
Khanda Section: Moksha-jnana / Advaita-Vedanta (Brahma-svarupa-nirupana)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage contemplating a vast, empty-luminous expanse where words and labels dissolve; faint glyphs of ‘name’ and ‘class’ fade away into pure light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, seated rishi in meditation, surrounding floating Sanskrit words ‘nāma’, ‘jāti’ dissolving into a central white-gold radiance, minimal background, sacred calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central radiant oval of gold leaf symbolizing pure Being, small meditating sage at base, decorative but subdued, inscriptions fading into the gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional composition: layers labeled ‘nāma/jāti/ādi kalpanā’ peeling away to reveal ‘sattā-mātra’ light, fine linework and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-sage in a quiet garden pavilion, calligraphic labels drifting upward and vanishing into a blank luminous sky, delicate borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāmajātyādikalpanāḥ = nāma + jāti + ādi + kalpanāḥ; sattāmātrātmake = sattā + mātra + ātmake; jñānātmanyātmahaḥ = jñānātmani + ātmahaḥ (sandhi: i+a→yā).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367 (Vedānta/Mokṣa-śāstra section); Agni Purana 368.1 (jñāna as cause of ātyantika-laya)
FAQs
It imparts jñāna-vidyā (liberation-knowledge): Brahman/Sarveśa is beyond conceptual categories like name and class, and is realized as pure Being (sattā-mātra) and pure Consciousness (jñāna-ātman).
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana includes Vedāntic metaphysics; this verse exemplifies its mokṣa-śāstra layer by defining the Supreme as category-transcending reality (beyond nāma-jāti) and as knowledge itself.
It directs the seeker away from reifying labels and identities; clinging to such constructs is framed as ‘ātma-hā’ (self-destruction by ignorance), while realizing the Supreme as pure being-consciousness is the path to liberation.