Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 374 — ध्यान (Dhyāna) — Colophon & Transition to Dhāraṇā
शिरो धीरञ्च कारञ्च कण्ठं चाधोमुखे स्मरेत् ध्यायेदच्छिन्नचिन्तात्मा भुयो भूतेन चात्मना
śiro dhīrañca kārañca kaṇṭhaṃ cādhomukhe smaret dhyāyedacchinnacintātmā bhuyo bhūtena cātmanā
Hendaklah ia mengingati (membayangkan) kepala, suku kata dhī dan kā, serta kerongkong, dengan arah menghadap ke bawah. Dengan minda yang tidak terputus dalam renungan, hendaklah ia bermeditasi berulang-ulang, menyatukan Diri dengan prinsip unsur (bhūta).
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in a practical dhyāna/nyāsa sequence)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Guided dhyāna with mantra-nyāsa: placing/remembering specific syllables (dhī, kā) at head and throat with a downward-facing visualization to stabilize attention and align the practitioner with bhūta-tattva contemplation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dhyāna with dhī-kā bīja-smaraṇa at śiras and kaṇṭha (adhomukha-bhāvanā)","lookup_keywords":["dhyāna","nyāsa","dhī","kā","adhomukha"],"quick_summary":"A stepwise visualization: remember head and throat loci with specified syllables, maintain unbroken contemplation, and repeatedly identify the Self with the elemental principle for inner steadiness."}
Concept: Akhaṇḍa-cintā (unbroken contemplation) and tattvātmatā (identification with bhūta-tattva) as a method of inner purification and stabilization of mind.
Application: Use repeated, steady visualization with mantra-syllable placement to reduce distraction and cultivate a stable meditative identity aligned with elemental reality.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Tantra (Dhyana / Mantra-nyasa and inner visualization practices)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in meditation, attention moving to head and throat; luminous syllables ‘dhī’ and ‘kā’ appear as seed-letters at those centers, with a downward-facing inner current; the practitioner’s aura merges with elemental textures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, frontal yogin with stylized nāḍī lines, bright golden bīja-akṣaras at head and throat, cool blue downward flow, minimal temple interior backdrop","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold embossing for bīja letters and halo, deep jewel tones, yogin seated on a lotus mat, subtle downward arrow-like flow rendered as ornate ribbon","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional diagram aesthetic: head and throat highlighted, clear Devanagari bīja glyphs, gentle shading, calm face, clean background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined interior with carpet, yogin in profile, delicate calligraphic ‘dhī’ and ‘kā’ floating near head and throat, translucent downward stream, fine border"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धीरञ्च = धीरम् + च; कारञ्च = कारम् + च; चाधोमुखे = च + अधोमुखे; ध्यायेदच्छिन्नचिन्तात्मा = ध्यायेत् + अच्छिन्नचिन्तात्मा; चात्मना = च + आत्मना.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 370s (yoga-dhyāna and mantra contexts around this passage); Agni Purana mantra/stotra sections (bīja and nyāsa usage in adjacent materials)
FAQs
It teaches a dhyāna/nyāsa-style visualization: placing attention on the head and throat while recollecting specific seed-syllables (“dhī”, “kā”), maintaining uninterrupted contemplation, and repeatedly merging awareness with the bhūta (elemental principle).
Beyond myth and devotion, it preserves practical yogic-tantric technique—mantra syllables, bodily loci (head/throat), and a defined meditative method—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of applied spiritual technologies alongside other sciences.
Unbroken meditation with mantra-visualization is presented as a means to steady the mind and refine identity from ordinary self-sense toward elemental and ultimately spiritual self-recognition, supporting purification and concentration (dhyāna-siddhi).