Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 21
Chapter 374 — ध्यान (Dhyāna) — Colophon & Transition to Dhāraṇā
संपूर्णेन्दुनिभं ध्यायेत् कमलं तन्त्रिमुष्टिगम् शिरःस्थं चिन्तयेद् यत्नाच्छशाङ्कायुतवर्चसं
saṃpūrṇendunibhaṃ dhyāyet kamalaṃ tantrimuṣṭigam śiraḥsthaṃ cintayed yatnācchaśāṅkāyutavarcasaṃ
Hendaklah bermeditasi pada teratai yang menyerupai bulan purnama, dengan putik bagaikan tombol genggaman (mūṣṭi) pada alat muzik vina; dan dengan bersungguh-sungguh hendaklah membayangkannya berada di kepala, bercahaya laksana sepuluh juta bulan.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Head-centered dhyāna using a lunar lotus visualization to induce clarity, cooling steadiness, and one-pointedness for subsequent dhāraṇā/samādhi.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Śiras-stha candra-kamala-dhyāna (full-moon lotus in the head)","lookup_keywords":["śirastha lotus","full moon lotus","tāntrika dhyāna","mūṣṭi pericarp","ten million moons"],"quick_summary":"Visualize a full-moon-like lotus in the head, with a pericarp shaped like a lute-knob, blazing with immense lunar radiance; this is a concentrative template for yogic absorption."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: Ālambana (support) for ekāgratā: a precise inner form placed at the cranial locus to refine awareness.
Application: Use the ‘moon-lotus’ as a stable mental object; when distraction arises, return to the lotus’ shape and radiance until attention becomes continuous.
Khanda Section: Yoga–Dhyana–Tantra (Meditative visualization of lotuses and lunar radiance)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An inner-vision scene: a radiant full-moon lotus seated at the crown/head region, with a distinctive lute-knob-like pericarp, flooding the subtle body with moonlight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized yogin in padmāsana, transparent head halo showing a white lotus like a full moon, concentric radiance bands, minimal background, sacred geometry accents","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central yogin with large circular moon-halo, embossed gold rays, white lotus at the crown with ornate pericarp detail, jewel-toned borders, devotional luminosity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic yet elegant: yogin profile with crown-lotus rendered clearly, soft gradients for lunar glow, fine linework for petals and pericarp, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined portrait of a meditating ascetic; translucent aureole reveals a moon-like lotus above the head, delicate wash of silver-white light, intricate floral margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संपूर्णेन्दुनिभम् = संपूर्ण + इन्दु + निभम्; यत्नाच्छशाङ्कायुतवर्चसम् = यत्नात् + शशाङ्कायुतवर्चसम् (त् + श → च्छ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 374 (Dhāraṇā: inner visualizations); Agni Purana 375.2 (steadiness metaphor: windless flame)
FAQs
It teaches a precise dhyāna-technique: visualizing a full-moon-like lotus with a rounded central core, located in the head, and intensifying its brilliance—an instruction typical of subtle-body (antar-dhyāna) practice.
Alongside rituals, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves practical yogic/tantric meditation protocols—here, a structured visualization method—showing its wide, compendious coverage of applied spiritual disciplines.
Contemplating the head-lotus as intensely luminous is presented as a means to refine inner awareness, purify mental fluctuations, and elevate consciousness toward higher realization through sustained, disciplined meditation.