Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 34
Chapter 381 — यमगीता
Yama-gītā
पौनःपुन्येन तत्रैव विषयेष्वेव धारणा ध्यानं स्मृतं समाधिस्तु अहं ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः
paunaḥpunyena tatraiva viṣayeṣveva dhāraṇā dhyānaṃ smṛtaṃ samādhistu ahaṃ brahmātmasaṃsthitiḥ
पुन्हा पुन्हा अभ्यासाने त्याच विषयात चित्त टिकवणे ‘धारणा’; त्याचा अखंड प्रवाह ‘ध्यान’; आणि ‘अहं ब्रह्म’—या आत्मस्थितीत स्थिर होणे ‘समाधी’ आहे.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s yoga/knowledge section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"Clarifies the progression: repeated dharana matures into dhyana, culminating in samadhi as Advaitic self-abidance (‘aham brahma’).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dharana–Dhyana–Samadhi: Repetition to Aham-Brahmasmi Abidance","lookup_keywords":["dhyana","samadhi","aham brahma","abhyasa","advaita"],"quick_summary":"Repeated concentration becomes sustained contemplation (dhyana), and samadhi is defined here as firm establishment in the realization of identity with Brahman."}
Concept: Samadhi is framed as Advaita-vedantic realization: the ‘I’ is Brahman, established in the Self.
Application: Use repeated practice to stabilize attention; let contemplation become continuous; culminate by dissolving subject-object duality into self-abidance in nondual awareness.
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya (Dhyana–Dharana–Samadhi; Vedantic contemplation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three-stage tableau: (1) focused mind on one object, (2) continuous stream of attention, (3) dissolution into luminous nondual Self with the inscription ‘अहं ब्रह्म’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych, left panel: yogi focusing on lotus; middle: flowing continuous light-stream from mind to object; right: yogi merged into radiant mandala with Devanagari ‘अहं ब्रह्म’, earthy reds/ochres, bold contours.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore triptych with gold leaf: dharana (single lotus), dhyana (unbroken garland-like light), samadhi (golden field with ‘अहं ब्रह्म’), ornate borders, devotional luminosity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional sequence, clean composition showing progression, subtle annotations implied, soft pastel background, emphasis on continuity of attention and final nondual radiance.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature in three registers, refined detailing: lamp-flame focus, then continuous gaze, then abstract luminous wash around the yogi with calligraphic ‘aham brahma’, delicate palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्रैव = तत्र एव; विषयेष्वेव = विषयेषु एव; समाधिस्तु = समाधिः तु; ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः = ब्रह्म-आत्म-संस्थितिः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 381.33 (dharana); Agni Purana 381.35–381.36 (jivanmukti/identity with Brahman)
FAQs
It teaches Yoga-vidyā: the technical progression from dhāraṇā (repeated fixation on an object) to dhyāna (sustained contemplation) and finally samādhi defined as Self-abidance in the realization “I am Brahman.”
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana catalogs practical soteriological disciplines; this verse functions like a concise yogic-vedāntic definition set, showing the text’s coverage of meditation theory alongside other sciences and arts.
It frames liberation-oriented practice: repeated concentration matures into meditative absorption culminating in non-dual Self-knowledge, which is presented as the decisive inner establishment that dissolves ignorance and its karmic binding.