Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 40
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
न शौचं नापि वाचारो ह्य् आसुरीसम्पदोद्धवः नरकत्वात् क्रोधलोभकामस्तस्मात्त्रयं त्यजेत्
na śaucaṃ nāpi vācāro hy āsurīsampadoddhavaḥ narakatvāt krodhalobhakāmastasmāttrayaṃ tyajet
ആസുരീ സ്വഭാവത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ശൗചവും സദാചാരവും ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നില്ല. ക്രോധം, ലോഭം, കാമം നരകാവസ്ഥയ്ക്ക് കാരണമാകുന്നതിനാൽ ഇവ മൂന്നും ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Niti-shastra","practical_application":"Self-regulation in daily conduct: cultivate cleanliness and right speech by abandoning anger, greed, and lust as root-causes of ethical downfall.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Tyajya-traya (Krodha–Lobha–Kama) as Asuric Obstacles to Śauca and Ācāra","lookup_keywords":["krodha","lobha","kama","asuri-sampad","sadachara"],"quick_summary":"Purity and good conduct do not arise from asuric temperament; anger, greed, and desire are singled out as the three to be abandoned because they precipitate hellish outcomes."}
Concept: Asuric dispositions obstruct śauca (inner/outer purity) and ācāra (right conduct); krodha–lobha–kāma are primary ethical poisons to renounce.
Application: Daily vigilance: pause before speech/action when anger/greed/desire arise; adopt counter-practices—kṣamā (forbearance), dāna (generosity), and saṃyama (sense-restraint).
Khanda Section: Niti-shastra / Sadachara (Ethics and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral tableau: a seeker turning away from three dark figures labeled anger, greed, and desire, moving toward a bright path of purity and right conduct.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, a sādhaka in white dhoti rejecting three asuric shadow-figures (krodha, lobha, kāma) near a fiery naraka backdrop, serene haloed path toward śauca and ācāra symbols (water pot, clean cloth), traditional ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, central calm ascetic figure with luminous aureole, three smaller dark-toned personifications of krodha-lobha-kāma at the side, gold-highlighted symbols of purity (kamandalu, lotus), rich red background, temple-like arch frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, instructional moral scene with labeled panels: ‘krodha’, ‘lobha’, ‘kāma’ leading to ‘naraka’, and the alternative path to ‘śauca’ and ‘ācāra’, soft pastel palette, minimal background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly moral allegory: a thoughtful scholar-saint in a garden turning away from three temptations depicted as courtiers with exaggerated expressions, a distant dark ravine labeled naraka, fine detailing, calligraphic captions"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāpi = na + api; hy = hi (visarga/yaṇ-sandhi in recitation); āsurīsampadoddhavaḥ analyzed as āsurī-sampat-uddhavaḥ; tasmāttrayam = tasmāt + trayam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Niti/Sadachara sections on śauca, dama, kṣamā, ahiṃsā; Agni Purana Dharma-kanda discussions of naraka and pāpa-hetu
FAQs
It imparts Nīti/Sadācāra-vidyā: a practical ethical rule—cultivate śauca (inner/outer purity) and right conduct by renouncing the three root vices: krodha, lobha, and kāma.
Alongside ritual, temple, and technical sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves a compact manual of moral psychology and governance-ready ethics; this verse is a distilled Nīti teaching on vice-control as a foundation for dharmic life.
Anger, greed, and desire are presented as direct causes of naraka-like karmic outcomes; abandoning them supports purification (śauca), stabilizes conduct (ācāra), and redirects one toward dharma and auspicious rebirth.