Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 15
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
असंवेद्यं हि तद् ब्रह्म कुमारी स्त्रीमुखं यथा अयोगी नैव जानाति जात्यन्धो हि घटं यथा
asaṃvedyaṃ hi tad brahma kumārī strīmukhaṃ yathā ayogī naiva jānāti jātyandho hi ghaṭaṃ yathā
Sesungguhnya Brahman itu tidak dapat dicerap oleh pancaindera—seperti seorang gadis belum mengetahui sepenuhnya pengalaman keadaan seorang wanita (kehidupan berumah tangga). Demikian juga, orang yang tidak teguh dalam Yoga tidak mengenal Brahman, seperti orang buta sejak lahir tidak mengenal sebuah tempayan.
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of the Agni Purana, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Jnana-yoga","practical_application":"Clarifies epistemic limits: Brahman is not grasped by ordinary sense-cognition; cultivate yoga (samādhi/inner discipline) as the means for realization rather than mere perception or inference.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Brahman as Asamvedya to the Senses; Yoga as the Means of Knowing","lookup_keywords":["asamvedya","brahman","ayogin","jātyandha","ghaṭa-dṛṣṭānta"],"quick_summary":"Brahman is not a sensory object; without yogic establishment one cannot know it—like a congenitally blind person cannot know a pot—thus the means is inner realization, not external perception."}
Alamkara Type: Dṛṣṭānta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: Brahman is beyond sensory apprehension; realization requires yoga (inner qualification), not mere external cognition.
Application: Shift effort from argument based on sense-data to sādhanā: yama-niyama, dhyāna, and samādhi-oriented inquiry under guidance, cultivating adhikāra (fitness).
Khanda Section: Jnana-Yoga / Brahma-vidya (Non-dual knowledge; limits of sensory cognition)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two analogies depicted: a yogin in samādhi perceiving inner light, contrasted with a blind-from-birth person touching a pot without ‘seeing’ it; Brahman shown as formless radiance beyond senses.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural split-scene: left yogin with inner lotus-light, right a blind man holding a clay pot, Brahman as luminous aura above, traditional pigments, calm didactic tone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold radiance representing Brahman, yogin seated below in meditation, side vignette of blind man and pot, ornate borders, emphasis on transcendence.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style pedagogic illustration: labeled elements (yogin, ayogin, pot), fine detailing, soft colors, clear contrast between sensory limitation and yogic insight.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with delicate realism: ascetic in meditation in one panel, blind man examining a pot in another, a subtle abstract glow indicating Brahman beyond depiction."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Jñāna-yoga teachings on pratyakṣa limits and dhyāna (nearby verses in adhyāya 165)
FAQs
It imparts Brahma-vidyā and yogic epistemology: Brahman is not grasped by ordinary sensory cognition; realization requires yogic discipline (yoga-sādhana) rather than mere perception or intellectual inference.
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves Vedāntic and Yoga-based teachings on valid knowledge and liberation—showing its scope as a compendium that includes metaphysics and methods of realization.
The verse redirects seekers from sense-based certainty to disciplined inner practice; spiritually, it emphasizes that liberation-oriented knowledge arises from योग (inner integration), which purifies understanding and leads toward mokṣa.