Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 20
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
ब्राह्मण उवाच श्रूयतां कोहमित्येतद्वक्तुं नैव च शक्यते पाठो ऽयं न समीचीनः उपभोगनिमित्तञ्च सर्वत्रागमनक्रिया
brāhmaṇa uvāca śrūyatāṃ kohamityetadvaktuṃ naiva ca śakyate pāṭho 'yaṃ na samīcīnaḥ upabhoganimittañca sarvatrāgamanakriyā
Brahmana itu berkata: “Dengarlah. Sama sekali tidak mungkin menyatakan ‘Siapakah aku?’ dengan cara demikian. Bacaan ini tidak tepat; dan maksudnya ialah bahawa tatacara ‘pergi/mendekati’ dilakukan di mana-mana demi tujuan menikmati (yakni mengalami hasil).”
Brāhmaṇa (a learned interlocutor within the dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Textual criticism and interpretive correction: identifying an incoherent reading, rejecting it, and supplying the intended semantic frame (pravṛtti toward experience/enjoyment of results).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Pāṭha-nirṇaya: Rejecting an Improper Reading and Restoring Sense","lookup_keywords":["pāṭha","na samīcīnaḥ","ko'ham","upabhoga-nimitta","āgamanakriyā"],"quick_summary":"The speaker flags a faulty reading and clarifies that ‘approaching/going’ is undertaken for the sake of upabhoga (experience of results). This models how to test readings by grammatical and contextual coherence."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāpatti (contextual postulation) / Anvaya-vyatireka reasoning
Concept: Meaning is secured by proper reading (pāṭha) and coherent intention (tātparya); human action (pravṛtti) is oriented to experiencing outcomes (upabhoga/karma-phala).
Application: When encountering variant readings, prefer the one that preserves grammar, narrative logic, and doctrinal consistency; interpret actions through the lens of motive and result.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Textual Criticism & Reading Variants / Pāṭha-nirṇaya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Brahmin-scholar addresses the king, holding a palm-leaf manuscript; he points to a line as if correcting a variant reading, while scribes and attendants watch.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, scholar with palm-leaf manuscript and stylus, king attentive, scribe nearby, strong outlines, manuscript text bands as decorative motif, didactic atmosphere","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold accents on manuscript edges and royal ornaments, scholar in teaching posture, king seated respectfully, temple-arch framing, emphasis on sacred learning","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, classroom-like court scene: manuscript close-up, scholar indicating incorrect vs correct reading, scribes with inkpot, clean composition for instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed atelier/court library, scholar and king in dialogue, scribes copying, shelves of manuscripts, precise gestures indicating textual emendation"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कोहमित्येतत् = कः + अहम् + इति + एतत्; पाठोऽयम् = पाठः + अयम्; उपभोगनिमित्तञ्च = उपभोगनिमित्तम् + च; सर्वत्रागमनक्रिया = सर्वत्र + आगमनक्रिया.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Alamkāra and Chandas chapters (definitions and interpretive rules); narrative nīti dialogues where sages correct kings
FAQs
It teaches pāṭha-nirṇaya (deciding the correct manuscript reading): the speaker rejects an improper phrasing and indicates the intended interpretive sense behind the line.
Beyond rituals and mythology, the Agni Purana also preserves scholastic tools—like correcting corrupt readings and clarifying meaning—showing it functions as a compendium of interpretive and literary knowledge.
By insisting on correct reading and meaning, it upholds śāstra-śuddhi (purity of transmission), which is traditionally held to preserve the efficacy of teaching, recitation, and right understanding.