Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 5
Chapter 381 — यमगीता
Yama-gītā
आगर्भजन्मबाल्यादिवयो ऽवस्थादिवेदनं श्रेयः परं मनुष्याणाम् गङ्गाविष्णुप्रगीतकं
āgarbhajanmabālyādivayo 'vasthādivedanaṃ śreyaḥ paraṃ manuṣyāṇām gaṅgāviṣṇupragītakaṃ
ଗର୍ଭଧାରଣରୁ ଜନ୍ମ, ବାଲ୍ୟ ଇତ୍ୟାଦି ବୟସ୍-ଅବସ୍ଥାମାନଙ୍କର ବୋଧ—ମନୁଷ୍ୟଙ୍କର ପରମ ମଙ୍ଗଳ; ଏହା ଗଙ୍ଗା ଓ ବିଷ୍ଣୁ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରଗୀତ।
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana to Sage Vasiṣṭha; the content is attributed as a teaching 'sung by' Gaṅgā and Viṣṇu)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Use life-stage awareness (from conception onward) to guide dharmic choices—education, duties, restraint, and preparation for aging and death; supports samskara-conscious living.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Life stages from conception onward as śreyas (Ganga–Vishnu teaching)","lookup_keywords":["garbha","janma","balya","vaya-avastha","samskara"],"quick_summary":"Knowing the human life-cycle stages—conception, birth, childhood, and subsequent ages—is taught as a key welfare-knowledge. Practically, it encourages timely samskaras, appropriate duties, and sober planning across the lifespan."}
Alamkara Type: Anukrama (sequential enumeration)
Concept: Human welfare includes reflective knowledge of embodied development across stages, supporting right conduct and timely duties rather than heedless living.
Application: Plan samskaras and responsibilities by stage; cultivate humility by remembering vulnerability from womb to old age; integrate pilgrimage/stotra with ethical maturation.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-mahatmya & Stotra (Ganga–Vishnu-praśasti; life-cycle awareness as dharma-knowledge)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Ganga personified and Vishnu together proclaim a teaching on human life stages; visual sequence from womb to infant, child, youth, adult, elder shown as a flowing timeline like a river.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Ganga-devi with water pot and river motifs beside Vishnu with conch and discus; below, a frieze of life stages in simple iconic panels from garbha to old age, rich greens/blues, temple-mural symmetry","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Vishnu central with gold halo, Ganga at side with gold-embossed river waves; bottom register shows sequential life stages in small medallions, ornate gold borders, devotional-instructional tone","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional storyboard: labeled stages (garbha, janma, balya, yauvana, vriddha), Ganga and Vishnu at top as teachers, delicate lines and soft palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, allegorical river of time with vignettes of life stages along the bank; Vishnu and Ganga as celestial figures above, fine detailing of domestic scenes (birth, schooling, household, aging)"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वयो 'वस्था → वयः अवस्था (विसर्ग-लोप); अवस्थादिवेदनं → अवस्था-आदि-वेदनम्; गङ्गाविष्णुप्रगीतकं → गङ्गा-विष्णु-प्रगीतकम्.
Related Themes: Tirtha-mahatmya sections on Ganga; Stotra portions praising Vishnu; Moksha-dharma reflections on birth, aging, death
FAQs
It imparts practical dharma-knowledge: discernment of human life-stages (from conception onward) as a framework for right conduct, discipline, and spiritually beneficial living.
By treating human development and ethical-spiritual welfare as a structured subject of knowledge, it shows the Agni Purana’s wide scope beyond ritual—covering life-cycle understanding alongside pilgrimage/praise traditions.
Recognizing life’s stages encourages timely dharmic action and detachment, supporting merit (puṇya) and the pursuit of the highest good (śreyas) rather than mere worldly ends.