Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 18
Chapter 172 — “Expiations beginning with the Secret
Rites)” (Rahasya-ādi-prāyaścitta
यत् प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते गन्धस्पर्शदिवर्जितं सूरयस्तत् पदं विष्णोस्तत् सर्वं शमयत्वघं
yat prāpya na nivartante gandhasparśadivarjitaṃ sūrayastat padaṃ viṣṇostat sarvaṃ śamayatvaghaṃ
Setelah mencapai keadaan itu, orang bijaksana tidak kembali lagi—tanpa bau dan tanpa sentuhan—itulah pada (kediaman tertinggi) Viṣṇu; semoga pencapaian itu menenteramkan dan melenyapkan segala dosa sepenuhnya.
Lord Agni (teaching to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Contemplation on Viṣṇu’s transcendental pada (abode/state) as a mokṣa-oriented devotional focus; using the verse as a closing benediction to dissolve pāpa-bhāva (sense of sin) and cultivate vairāgya.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Viṣṇu-pada as Non-sensory Mokṣa-sthāna","lookup_keywords":["viṣṇu-pada","nivṛtti (no return)","gandha-sparśa-varjita","mokṣa-sthāna","aghopaśamana"],"quick_summary":"The supreme station of Viṣṇu is described as beyond sensory qualities like smell and touch, and as the state from which the wise do not return. Meditating on that pada is invoked as a means to pacify sin."}
Alamkara Type: Lakṣaṇā (indirect indication) / Nirguṇa-paryāya (via negation)
Concept: Mokṣa as a non-returning state beyond sensory predicates; pāpa is calmed by realization/attainment of the supreme pada.
Application: Use as nididhyāsana-support: repeatedly contemplate the non-sensory nature of the goal to weaken attachment to sense-objects and strengthen śaraṇāgati.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Vishnu-pada-stuti (Liberation theology and devotional benediction)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene, luminous, formless ‘Viṣṇu-pada’ above the cosmos—radiant space beyond the five senses—while sages sit in meditation, suggesting ‘no return’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: meditating ṛṣis in a forest āśrama, above them a vast golden-blue aura labeled as Viṣṇu’s parama-pada, minimal anthropomorphic form, lotus motifs, calm śānta palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central radiant mandala as Viṣṇu-pada with heavy gold leaf halo, small seated sages below with folded hands, ornate borders, emphasis on divine radiance rather than form.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional serenity—sages in dhyāna, subtle depiction of senses fading (flowers, incense, touch symbols dissolving), soft washes, fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed sages on a terrace at dawn, a luminous abstract orb in the sky representing the supreme abode, delicate clouds, restrained symbolism, contemplative mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: viṣṇoḥ + tat → viṣṇos tat (visarga sandhi); śamayatu + agham → śamayatvagham (u+a→va; orthographic assimilation). gandhasparśadivarjitam resolved as gandha-sparśa-divarjitam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 172 (Vishnu-pada-stuti and phala-śruti cluster)
FAQs
It conveys mokṣa-vidyā in brief: the highest state (Viṣṇu-pada) is characterized as beyond sensory qualities (e.g., smell and touch) and is invoked as a means of pacifying sin through remembrance/realization.
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves concise soteriological doctrine—defining liberation as non-return and as transcending sense-objects—showing its coverage of both practical disciplines and ultimate spiritual aims.
Contemplation and invocation of Viṣṇu’s supreme state is presented as purificatory: it “quells sin” (agha-śamana) and orients the practitioner toward apunarāvṛtti (freedom from rebirth).