Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Explanation of the Final Dissolution (Ātyantika Laya) and the Arising of Hiraṇyagarbha — Subtle Body, Post-Death Transit, Rebirth, and Embodied Constituents
कर्मभूमिरियं ब्रह्मन् फलभूमिरसौ स्मृता यमो योनीश् च नरकं निरूपयति कर्मणा
karmabhūmiriyaṃ brahman phalabhūmirasau smṛtā yamo yonīś ca narakaṃ nirūpayati karmaṇā
ໂອ ພຣາຫມັນ! ໂລກນີ້ຖືກຈື່ຈໍາວ່າເປັນພື້ນທີ່ແຫ່ງການກະທໍາ; ໂລກນັ້ນຖືກຈື່ຈໍາວ່າເປັນພື້ນທີ່ແຫ່ງຜົນ. ໂດຍກຳຂອງຕົນ ຍະມະ—ພ້ອມດ້ວຍອົງຜູ້ເປັນເຈົ້າແຫ່ງຍົນີ—ກໍານົດນະລົກຂອງຜູ້ນັ້ນ.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) addressing the sage (invoked as ‘Brahman’)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Frames life as karma-kṣetra and afterlife as phala-kṣetra, guiding ethical decision-making and motivating prāyaścitta, dāna, and vrata as karmic regulation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Karma-bhūmi and Phala-bhūmi: karmaphala-niyama under Yama","lookup_keywords":["karma-bhumi","phala-bhumi","karmaphala","yama","naraka-nirnaya"],"quick_summary":"This world is where actions are performed; the other world is where their results are experienced. Yama’s judgment of hell is determined by one’s own deeds, emphasizing moral causality."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa (general maxim supporting doctrine)
Concept: Karma-niyati: actions ripen into results across realms; judgment is not arbitrary but self-caused.
Application: Live with long-horizon ethics; undertake expiations and cultivate sattva to shape future fruition.
Khanda Section: Karma and Afterlife Doctrine (Karmaphala, Yama, Naraka-vichara)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Cosmic realms
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split-scene: on one side humans acting in the world (karma-bhūmi); on the other Yama’s court where fruits are assigned, with a path leading to naraka.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych composition, left: village life and ritual acts; right: Yama enthroned in court, attendants, scales/records implied, strong outlines and flat planes","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, two-panel narrative with gold borders: karma-bhūmi activities (dāna, yajña) and phala-bhūmi (Yama’s court), rich ornamentation and halos","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, schematic clarity: labeled-like separation of realms, Yama as judge, subtle path arrows, soft colors and fine detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly Yama-darbār rendered like imperial court, meticulous textiles; contrasting earthly marketplace/ritual scene on the other side"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कर्मभूमिरियं → कर्म-भूमिः इयम्; फलभूमिरसौ → फल-भूमिः असौ; योनीश् च → योनीः च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Karmaphala and prāyaścitta discussions; Agni Purana: Naraka classifications tied to specific sins
FAQs
It teaches the karmic framework: this world is the karmabhūmi (where actions are undertaken) and the next world is the phalabhūmi (where results are experienced), with post-death destinies such as naraka assigned according to one’s deeds.
Beyond rituals and worship, the Agni Purana also systematizes ethics and eschatology—explaining how actions translate into postmortem outcomes under Yama’s jurisdiction—showing its coverage of dharma, moral causality, and cosmological administration.
It underscores personal responsibility: one’s own karma is the decisive cause of reward or punishment, encouraging disciplined conduct and dharmic action to avoid naraka and attain favorable results.