Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 54
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
शठो ऽलसस्तामसः स्यात् कार्यादिधीश् च सात्त्विकी कार्यार्थं सा राजसी स्याद्विपरीता तु तामसी
śaṭho 'lasastāmasaḥ syāt kāryādidhīś ca sāttvikī kāryārthaṃ sā rājasī syādviparītā tu tāmasī
കപടനോ അലസനോ താമസികനായി കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. കർത്തവ്യാദികളെ ശരിയായി നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് നയിക്കുന്ന ബുദ്ധി സാത്ത്വികം. ലക്ഷ്യസാധന/ലാഭത്തിനായി മാത്രം പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന ബുദ്ധി രാജസം; അതിന്റെ വിരുദ്ധം താമസം.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Personnel and governance ethics: assess officials (and oneself) by guṇa-markers—deceit/indolence (tamas), duty-guided discernment (sattva), goal-driven expediency (rajas)—to assign roles and correct faults.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Guṇa-lakṣaṇa of persons and buddhi in governance","lookup_keywords":["śaṭha","ālasa","tāmasa","sāttvikī-buddhi","rājasī-buddhi"],"quick_summary":"Deceit and laziness indicate tamas. Understanding that directs proper duty is sāttvika; understanding that acts chiefly for ends is rājasika; its opposite (misdirected/neglectful) is tāmasika—useful for ethical administration."}
Concept: Buddhi and character are guṇa-conditioned; dharma-guided discernment is the sāttvika standard for right action and right governance.
Application: In appointments and self-training: discourage śāṭhya (deceit) and ālasya (sloth); cultivate duty-first discernment; restrain purely result-obsessed reasoning.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Ethics of governance; typology of mental dispositions/guṇas)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king evaluates three candidates: one sly and slouching (tamas), one upright holding a dharma-scroll (sattva), one energetic pointing to targets and ledgers (rajas); the court observes the discernment process.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal assessment scene with three archetypal figures: shadowy deceitful-lazy tāmasa, luminous upright sāttvika with dharma-patra, red-toned active rājasika with goal symbols; bold lines, flat colors, moral symbolism","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, enthroned king as dharma-judge, three applicants in distinct guṇa colors, ornate court pillars, gilded highlights on the dharma-scroll and throne","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic court tableau, expressive faces showing deceit, clarity, and ambition; labeled guṇa captions, soft shading and refined detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, durbar scene with meticulous textiles and architecture; three petitioners embody tamas/sattva/rajas through posture and objects (scroll, ledger, concealed dagger), refined palette and floral borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śaṭho 'lasaḥ = śaṭhaḥ ālasaḥ; kāryādidhīś = kārya-ādi-dhīḥ; kāryārthaṃ = kārya-artham; syādviparītā = syāt viparītā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 380.53; Agni Purana 380.52
FAQs
It imparts a technical guṇa-based diagnostic of conduct and intellect—how to identify tāmasika (deceit/indolence), sāttvika (duty-governed clarity), and rājasika (goal-driven activity) tendencies for ethical decision-making.
Beyond ritual topics, it codifies applied moral psychology for social order and governance (rājadharma), showing the text’s wide scope—from theology to practical classification of human behavior.
Cultivating sāttvika intellect (duty-directed clarity) supports righteous action (dharma) and purifies karma, while rājasika and especially tāmasika tendencies obscure discernment and lead to ethically harmful outcomes.