Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 23
Chapter 378: Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
विषयात्तत्समाकृष्य ब्रह्मभूतं हरिं स्मरेत् आत्मभावं नयत्येनं तद्ब्रह्मध्यायिनं मुने
viṣayāttatsamākṛṣya brahmabhūtaṃ hariṃ smaret ātmabhāvaṃ nayatyenaṃ tadbrahmadhyāyinaṃ mune
ವಿಷಯಗಳಿಂದ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಹಿಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಸೆಳೆದು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಸ್ವರೂಪನಾದ ಹರಿಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಮರಿಸಬೇಕು. ಹೇ ಮುನೇ, ಈ ಸಾಧನೆ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಧ್ಯಾನಿಯನ್ನು ಆತ್ಮಭಾವಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಕರೆದೊಯ್ಯುತ್ತದೆ.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic instruction to a sage, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"Practice pratyahara (withdrawing attention from sense-objects) and brahma-smriti (remembrance of Hari as Brahman) to stabilize inner awareness toward Atma-bhava.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pratyahara leading to Hari-as-Brahman Smriti and Atma-bhava","lookup_keywords":["pratyahara","vishaya-nivritti","hari-brahman","atma-bhava","brahma-dhyana"],"quick_summary":"Withdraw the mind from sense-objects and recollect Hari as Brahman; this contemplative recollection matures into abidance in the Self for the Brahman-meditator."}
Concept: Sense-withdrawal and Brahman-remembrance culminate in Atma-bhava (Self-state).
Application: Daily meditation: disengage from sensory inputs, fix the mind on Hari as Brahman, and remain as witnessing awareness until identification shifts from objects to Self.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Brahma-dhyana (Meditation on Hari as Brahman; Antahkarana-shuddhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in meditation withdraws attention from sensory objects; the mind turns inward to contemplate Hari as Brahman, culminating in luminous Self-awareness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, serene yogi in padmasana, muted earth reds and greens, stylized lotus seat, faint haloed Vishnu/Hari as Brahman in the heart-lotus, senses depicted as subdued animals at the periphery, sacred calm atmosphere","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central meditating sage with ornate aureole, gold-leaf highlights around a subtle Vishnu form emerging from a heart-lotus, rich maroons and greens, temple-like framing, emphasis on divine radiance and inward recollection","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, instructional composition showing sense-objects fading into the background while the yogin’s gaze turns inward, small icon of Hari above the heart, calm palette and precise detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined interior hermitage scene, yogin seated on a carpet, worldly objects (fruits, music, ornaments) placed outside a threshold, a translucent divine presence symbolizing Brahman-Hari near the yogin, delicate brushwork and subdued gold"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विषयात् + तत् → विषयात्तत्; स्मरेत् आत्मभावम् (पदसन्धिः); नयति + एनम् → नयत्येनम्; तत् + ब्रह्मध्यायिनम् → तद्ब्रह्मध्यायिनम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 378.25 (yoga as brahma-samyoga); Agni Purana 378.26 (yama-niyama etc.); Agni Purana 378.27 (saguna/nirguna support)
FAQs
It teaches a yogic method: withdraw the mind from sense-objects (pratyāhāra) and practice remembrance/meditation on Hari as Brahman (brahma-dhyāna) to attain ātmabhāva (Self-state).
Alongside ritual, law, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves practical yoga and Vedāntic contemplation—showing it functions as a compendium that includes liberation-oriented disciplines like pratyāhāra and Brahman-meditation.
By turning attention away from sensory engagement and fixing it on Hari as Brahman, the practitioner is purified and guided toward Self-realization (ātmabhāva), a direct means toward mokṣa.