Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 374 — ध्यान (Dhyāna) — Colophon & Transition to Dhāraṇā
यस्मिन् यस्मिन् भवेदङ्गे योगिनां व्याधिसम्भवः तत्तदङ्गं धिया व्याप्य धारयेत्तत्त्वधारणं
yasmin yasmin bhavedaṅge yogināṃ vyādhisambhavaḥ tattadaṅgaṃ dhiyā vyāpya dhārayettattvadhāraṇaṃ
യോഗികളിൽ ഏത് അവയവത്തിൽ രോഗം ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുമോ, ആ അവയവത്തെ ധിയാൽ വ്യാപിപ്പിച്ച് അവിടെ തന്നേ തത്ത്വധാരണ (തത്ത്വത്തിൽ ഏകാഗ്രത) അഭ്യസിക്കണം।
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"A yogic ‘attention-based therapy’: direct concentrated awareness (tattva-dhāraṇā) into the diseased limb to stabilize prāṇa and support recovery.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Tattva-dhāraṇā for limb-specific disease in yogins","lookup_keywords":["vyādhi","aṅga","tattva-dhāraṇā","dhiyā vyāpya","yogic therapy"],"quick_summary":"When illness manifests in a particular limb, mentally pervade that limb with focused awareness and apply elemental concentration there; the method treats disease through prāṇa-manas regulation rather than drugs."}
Concept: Mind (dhī) and prāṇa can be deployed therapeutically; tattva-contemplation is applied locally to the body to correct imbalance and obstruction.
Application: In practice sessions, scan the body; when discomfort appears, stabilize breath, ‘fill’ the region with attention, and contemplate the relevant tattva qualities (e.g., warmth/tejas for cold stiffness; fluidity/ap for dryness) without strain.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Tattva-Dhāraṇā (Meditation therapy / Yogic physiology; often aligned with Ayurveda-style healing in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic yoga material)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seated yogin places inner attention on a highlighted limb (arm/leg), shown as glowing; elemental symbols (pañca-tattva) hover subtly over the limb to indicate tattva-dhāraṇā as therapy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized yogin with one limb illuminated in bright pigment, pañca-tattva icons (earth square, water crescent, fire triangle, air circle, space dot) arranged around the limb, flat sacred composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted affected limb, embossed tattva emblems, calm yogin face, ornate border; emphasis on ‘healing radiance’ entering the limb.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate: yogin posture, arrow showing ‘dhiyā vyāpya’ (mind pervading limb), neat tattva symbols labeled, soft colors and precise outlines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: physician-yogin in a quiet chamber, subtle glow in the limb, delicate elemental motifs in the margin, fine brushwork and naturalistic anatomy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेदङ्गे → भवेत् + अङ्गे; तत्तदङ्गं → तत् + तत् + अङ्गम्; धारयेत्तत्त्वधारणं → धारयेत् + तत्त्वधारणम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana Yoga-vidya: sections on tattva-dhāraṇā, nāḍī, prāṇa movement, and dhyāna as remedial practice (same khanda context)
FAQs
It teaches a therapeutic yogic method: identify the diseased limb, suffuse it with concentrated awareness, and apply tattva-dhāraṇā (element-focused concentration) directly to that body-part as a remedial practice.
Alongside ritual and doctrine, the Agni Purana preserves practical applied knowledge—here, a mind–body healing instruction that overlaps yoga psychology and proto-medical therapeutics, expanding the text beyond purely mythic narration.
By stabilizing attention (dhāraṇā) and harmonizing the body through tattva-awareness, the yogin cultivates inner purity and mastery of the senses—supporting steadiness in sādhana and reducing obstacles caused by illness.