Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 61
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
ऋतुः प्राह निदाघन्तं कतमस्त्वामहं वदे उक्तो निदाघस्तन्नत्वा प्राह मे त्वं गुरुर्ध्रुवम्
ṛtuḥ prāha nidāghantaṃ katamastvāmahaṃ vade ukto nidāghastannatvā prāha me tvaṃ gururdhruvam
ഋതു നിദാഘനോടു പറഞ്ഞു—“ഞാൻ നിന്നെ ഏതു പേരിൽ വിളിക്കണം?” എന്നു ചോദിച്ചതിന് നിദാഘൻ അദ്ദേഹത്തെ നമസ്കരിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു—“നിങ്ങളാണ് നിശ്ചയമായി എന്റെ സ്ഥിരമായ, സത്യഗുരു।”
Ṛtu (question), Nidāgha (reply)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Cultivating the guru–śiṣya ethic: humility, correct address, and recognition of the true teacher as the gateway to higher instruction.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Guru-niścaya (Recognition of the True Teacher)","lookup_keywords":["guru-śiṣya","namaskāra","upadeśa","nidāgha","ṛtu"],"quick_summary":"The verse frames the proper relational ground for instruction: the student bows and affirms the teacher’s authority and steadiness, preparing the mind for receiving jñāna."}
Alamkara Type: Samvāda (dialogic didactic narration)
Concept: Adhikāritva for jñāna begins with vinaya and guru-niścaya.
Application: Adopt respectful inquiry, bowing/acknowledgment, and steady discipleship before undertaking Advaita inquiry.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Narrative/Didactic Dialogue: Nidāgha–Ṛtu episode)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A forest hermitage dialogue: Ṛtu questions Nidāgha on how to address him; Nidāgha bows with folded hands, accepting him as guru.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, hermitage grove with palm and banyan, two sages in ochre robes, one bowing (añjali), calm faces, minimal background ornaments, sacred didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central pair of sages with stylized halos, Nidāgha in añjali at the guru’s feet, rich textiles, gold leaf highlights on ornaments and borders, serene śānta expression.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, soft shading, instructional scene of guru–śiṣya etiquette, hermitage props (kamandalu, deer-skin seat), subdued colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed forest flora, two ascetics seated on a carpet near a hut, one inclining in respect, delicate facial expressions, thin gold margins, narrative caption space."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निदाघन्तं → निदाघम् + तम्; कतमस्त्वामहं → कतमः + त्वाम् + अहम्; निदाघस्तन्नत्वा → निदाघः + तत् + नत्वा; गुरुर्ध्रुवम् → गुरुः + ध्रुवम् (ध्रुवम् adverbial).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 379 (Nidāgha–Ṛtu/Ṛbhu episode, Advaita upadeśa sequence)
FAQs
It conveys the practical discipline of guru–śiṣya conduct: respectful inquiry and the disciple’s explicit acceptance of the guru’s authority, established through bowing (namana) and affirmation.
Beyond rituals and sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves didactic narratives that encode social-spiritual protocols—here, the etiquette and psychology of instruction—showing its coverage of dharma, pedagogy, and lived tradition.
Honoring the guru with humility is presented as a purifier of ego and a prerequisite for receiving right knowledge; the act of bowing and acknowledging the true teacher supports merit (puṇya) and inner clarity.