Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 60
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
ऋतुर्निदाघ आरूढो दृष्टान्तं पश्य वाहनं उपर्यहं यथा राजा त्वमधः कुञ्जरो यथा
ṛturnidāgha ārūḍho dṛṣṭāntaṃ paśya vāhanaṃ uparyahaṃ yathā rājā tvamadhaḥ kuñjaro yathā
ഋതു പറഞ്ഞു— ഹേ നിദാഘാ! ആരൂഢനായി ഈ ദൃഷ്ടാന്തം നോക്കുക; ഈ വാഹനം നിരീക്ഷിക്കുക. രാജാവ് മുകളിലിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, നീ താഴെയിരിക്കുന്നു— അവനെ വഹിക്കുന്ന കുഞ്ജരത്തെപ്പോലെ.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in didactic/nīti material typical of the Agni Purāṇa’s encyclopedic chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Using a concrete political simile (king-elephant) to teach dependence, hierarchy, and the relativity of ‘above/below’ status—applicable to leadership ethics and self-knowledge.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Dṛṣṭānta of Power and Support: King Above, Bearer Below","lookup_keywords":["dṛṣṭānta","upari-adhaḥ","rāja-āśraya","gaja-vāhana","nīti"],"quick_summary":"The ‘above/below’ arrangement shows that the exalted position rests upon a supporting base; it critiques pride and clarifies how authority is structurally dependent."}
Alamkara Type: Dṛṣṭānta (didactic exemplum)
Weapon Type: Elephant mount (Gaja)
Concept: Relational ontology of status: ‘above’ is meaningful only with a ‘below’ that bears it; ego is corrected by seeing the supporting ground.
Application: Leaders should honor and protect their supports (people, institutions, resources); practitioners should reduce pride by contemplating dependence.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti (Didactic similes on power, status, and dependence)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic moment: the sage points to the king seated above on the elephant, emphasizing the example that the ‘above’ depends on the ‘below’ bearer.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sage instructing with raised finger, king seated on elephant in howdah, composition emphasizing vertical ‘above/below’ relation, subdued teaching mood","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, vertical composition with elephant below and king above, gold leaf on royal canopy, sage at side indicating the moral lesson","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic clarity: labels or implied hierarchy, careful rendering of elephant anatomy and howdah, calm instructional ambience","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined didactic scene with sage and king, elephant as visual metaphor, delicate shading and architectural framing to stress hierarchy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऋतुर्निदाघ = ऋतुः + निदाघ; उपर्यहं = उपरि + अहम्; त्वमधः = त्वम् + अधः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 379 (Nidāgha–Ṛtu didactic sequence on status/identity)
FAQs
It imparts nīti-vidyā (practical political-ethical instruction) through a concrete analogy: hierarchy and dependence in rulership—one sits “above” only because another bears the burden “below.”
Alongside ritual, theology, and arts, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves pragmatic instruction on governance and ethics; this verse exemplifies its statecraft-oriented maxims embedded within broader Rajadharma/nīti coverage.
It cautions against pride and misuse of power: recognizing one’s dependence on others supports humility and righteous conduct (dharma), which is traditionally linked to auspicious karma and social harmony.