Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 18
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
महदादेर्विकारस्य विशेषान्तस्य संक्षये कृष्णेच्छाकारिते तस्मिन् सम्प्राप्ते प्रतिसञ्चरे
mahadādervikārasya viśeṣāntasya saṃkṣaye kṛṣṇecchākārite tasmin samprāpte pratisañcare
မဟတ် (Mahat) မှ စ၍ အထူးသတ္တဝါ/အထူးဓာတ်များ (viśeṣa) အထိ အဆုံးသတ်သော ပြောင်းလဲမှု (vikāra) သည် ပျက်လျက်လျောသွားသောအခါ—ကృష్ణ (Kṛṣṇa) ၏ အလိုတော်ကြောင့် ဖြစ်ပေါ်သော ပြန်လည်စုပ်ယူခြင်း (pratisañcara) အတွင်း၌—
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic-Sāṃkhya cosmology to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Mapping Sāṅkhya tattva-evolution (mahat to viśeṣa/bhūta) onto Purāṇic reabsorption (pratisañcara) under īśvara/Viṣṇu’s will.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pratisañcara: dissolution of Mahat-to-Viśeṣa vikāra by Kṛṣṇa’s will","lookup_keywords":["mahat","vikāra","viśeṣa","pratisañcara","kṛṣṇa-icchā"],"quick_summary":"At counter-current reabsorption, the entire chain of evolutes—from Mahat down to the particularized elements—dissolves, occurring under the governing will of Kṛṣṇa (Īśvara)."}
Concept: All tattvas are contingent modifications; their dissolution is a return to causal subtlety, ultimately governed by Īśvara (Kṛṣṇa).
Application: Meditative reflection on impermanence of evolutes (vikāra) to loosen identification with body/mind and cultivate śānti.
Khanda Section: Sankhya–Yoga / Cosmogony and Pralaya Doctrine (Sṛṣṭi–Pralaya-vicāra)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic cosmic reversal: layers labeled Mahat, Ahaṃkāra, tanmātras/viśeṣas flowing backward into subtlety, with Kṛṣṇa as the presiding will above the diagram.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central serene Kṛṣṇa icon with radiating bands representing tattvas, arrows reversing inward, stylized lotus-like cosmogram, minimal realism, strong symbolic color blocks.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Kṛṣṇa enthroned with gold halo, concentric rings of creation drawn as ornate bands, gold embossing on the cosmogram, devotional-metaphysical tone.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional cosmology chart with Sanskrit labels (महत्, विशेष), Kṛṣṇa figure at top margin, fine lines and soft colors, classroom-like clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, philosopher-sage presenting a cosmological scroll to a patron, the scroll shows reverse arrows from elements to Mahat, Kṛṣṇa depicted in a small medallion above, detailed textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महत्+आदेः → महदादेः (त्→द्); महदादेः+विकारस्य → महदादेर्विकारस्य; कृष्ण+इच्छा+कारिते → कृष्णेच्छाकारिते (अ+इ → ए)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367.19–367.20 (elemental absorption sequence; water/earth qualities; tejas)
FAQs
It teaches the Sāṃkhya technical model of dissolution: the evolutes beginning with Mahat and ending with the gross particularized principles (viśeṣas) are reabsorbed in a reverse process called pratisañcara, governed by the Lord’s will.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana preserves systematic metaphysics—mapping Sāṃkhya categories (tattvas) onto Purāṇic theism—so it functions as a compendium of cosmology, philosophy, and devotional theology in one place.
By attributing dissolution to Kṛṣṇa’s will, it frames cosmic change as divinely ordered; contemplative understanding of pralaya and detachment from evolutes supports vairāgya (dispassion) and strengthens devotion to the Supreme as the ultimate refuge.