Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
अध्याय १६२ — धर्मशास्त्रकथनम्
Dharmaśāstra Exposition: Authorities, Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti, Upākarman, and Anadhyāya Rules
काम्यं कर्म प्रवृत्तं स्यान्निवृत्तं ज्ञानपूर्वकं वेदाभ्यासस्तपो ज्ञानमिन्दियाणाञ्च संयमः
kāmyaṃ karma pravṛttaṃ syānnivṛttaṃ jñānapūrvakaṃ vedābhyāsastapo jñānamindiyāṇāñca saṃyamaḥ
ກຳທີ່ເຮັດເພາະຄວາມປາຖະໜາ ຄວນເຂົ້າໃຈວ່າເປັນທາງປະພຶດ (pravṛtti)؛ ສ່ວນກຳແຫ່ງນິວັດ (nivṛtti) ອາໄສປັນຍາເປັນພື້ນ. ການຝຶກວິດະ, ຕະປະ, ຄວາມຮູ້ແທ້, ແລະການສຳລວມອິນຊີ—ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ແມ່ນວິທີຂອງມັນ।
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s dharma/knowledge teachings to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Differentiate kāmya-karma (desire-driven rites) from nivṛtti grounded in jñāna; adopt the listed disciplines—svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, indriya-saṃyama—as a practical sādhanā set for liberation-oriented life.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nivṛtti-sādhana: Svādhyāya–Tapas–Jñāna–Indriya-saṃyama","lookup_keywords":["kāmya-karma","svādhyāya","tapas","indriya-saṃyama","nivṛtti"],"quick_summary":"Engagement is desire-motivated action; withdrawal is knowledge-led discipline. The verse enumerates core practices that mature renunciation into liberating insight."}
Concept: Kāmya-karma belongs to pravṛtti; nivṛtti is jñāna-pūrvaka and is supported by svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, and sense-control.
Application: Create a daily regimen: fixed Veda/Upaniṣad study, moderated austerities, reflective inquiry, and deliberate restraint of sensory impulses to shift motivation from desire to knowledge.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Karma-yoga and Jnana (Ethics of action and renunciation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An ascetic student practices four disciplines: reciting from a manuscript (svādhyāya), performing austerity near a sacred fire (tapas), meditating with inquiry (jñāna), and restraining senses symbolized by reins on horses (indriya-saṃyama).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four-panel narrative around a central meditating sage; manuscript recitation, tapas by fire, contemplative jñāna, and chariot-horses restrained by reins; temple mural framing and muted ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central yogin with gold halo; surrounding gold-embossed vignettes of svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, indriya-saṃyama; ornate jewelry minimal, emphasis on sacred implements and gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic composition with labeled icons: book for svādhyāya, fire for tapas, lamp for jñāna, reins for indriya-saṃyama; soft colors, fine outlines, subtle gilding.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly hermitage scene with detailed objects—inkpot, palm leaves, fire altar, rosary; symbolic horses in the margin restrained; delicate shading and architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्यान्निवृत्तं = स्यात् + निवृत्तम्; वेदाभ्यासस्तपो = वेदाभ्यासः + तपः; ज्ञानमिन्दियाणाञ्च = ज्ञानम् + इन्द्रियाणाम् + च (IAST 'indiyāṇāṃ' normalized to इन्द्रियाणाम्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: sections on vrata/tapas and svādhyāya; Agni Purana: mokṣa teachings emphasizing indriya-nigraha and jñāna
FAQs
It classifies actions into pravṛtti (desire-driven kāmya-karma) and nivṛtti (renunciatory discipline rooted in jñāna), and lists practical sādhanas: Veda-study, tapas, knowledge, and sense-restraint.
Alongside ritual and worldly duties, the Agni Purana also systematizes philosophical soteriology—mapping karma categories and prescribing a concise toolkit of disciplines (study, austerity, discernment, self-control) that connect dharma to mokṣa.
It teaches that desire-based acts bind one to worldly outcomes, while renunciatory practice guided by knowledge purifies the mind and supports liberation through disciplined study, austerity, and control of the senses.