Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 14
Āsana–Prāṇāyāma–Pratyāhāra
Posture, Breath-control, and Withdrawal of the Senses
जपध्यानं विनागर्भः स गर्भस्तत्समन्वितः इन्द्रियाणां जयार्थाय स गर्भं धारयेत्परं
japadhyānaṃ vināgarbhaḥ sa garbhastatsamanvitaḥ indriyāṇāṃ jayārthāya sa garbhaṃ dhārayetparaṃ
Sem japa (recitação) e meditação não há ‘garbha’ verdadeiro; mas esse ‘garbha’ torna-se completo quando acompanhado por elas. Para a conquista dos sentidos, deve-se sustentar firmemente esse ‘garbha’ supremo (estado-semente de concentração interior).
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Integrating japa and dhyāna to stabilize the ‘garbha/seed-state’ (inner concentration) for indriya-jaya; practical meditative discipline for sensory restraint.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Garbha-dhāraṇa through japa and dhyāna for indriya-jaya","lookup_keywords":["garbha-dhāraṇa","japa","dhyāna","indriya-jaya","dharāṇā"],"quick_summary":"States that true inner ‘garbha’ (seeded concentration) is incomplete without japa and meditation; holding that supreme seed-state leads to conquest of the senses. It functions as a concise sādhanā protocol: japa → dhyāna → dhāraṇā."}
Concept: Indriya-jaya arises from a stabilized inner seed (garbha) matured by japa and dhyāna; practice precedes attainment.
Application: Daily sequence: mantra-japa with attention → sustained dhyāna on the mantra/deity/light → dhāraṇā as ‘garbha-dhāraṇa’ to reduce sensory reactivity.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Tantra (Mantra-japa, Dhyana, Dharana / Garbha-dharana practices)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in padmāsana, counting japa beads, then absorbed in meditation; a glowing ‘seed’ (bindu/bīja) at the heart or between eyebrows symbolizing garbha; senses depicted as subdued animals or fading sensory icons.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, meditating yogin with rudrākṣa mālā, luminous bindu at heart, stylized subdued sense-symbols (deer, elephant, bee) around, deep reds and greens, temple-grove setting","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf aura around yogin and the inner bindu, ornate arch frame, japa mālā prominent, subtle lotus at heart indicating garbha, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional triptych: japa (beads), dhyāna (closed eyes), dhāraṇā (steady bindu), fine linework and soft shading, minimal background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, quiet interior with prayer rug, yogin with rosary, delicate depiction of a small glowing orb at chest, sensory distractions shown as faint silhouettes outside a window, intricate border"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विनागर्भः = विना + गर्भः; गर्भस्तत्समन्वितः = गर्भः + तत् + समन्वितः; जयार्थाय = जय + अर्थाय; धारयेत्परं = धारयेत् + परम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 372 (Yoga/Tantra-oriented sādhanā instructions around japa-dhyāna-dhāraṇā)
FAQs
It teaches a practical yoga-tantra sequence: japa (mantra repetition) and dhyāna (meditation) are required to establish the ‘garbha’ (inner seed/core state), which is then maintained through dhāraṇā for indriya-jaya (control of the senses).
Alongside ritual and dharma topics, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves applied yogic technology—mantra, meditation, and concentration methods—showing its wide, encyclopedic coverage of spiritual disciplines.
By uniting mantra-japa with meditation and sustained inner holding (dhāraṇā), the practitioner gains mastery over sense-impulses, supporting purification of mind and steadiness for higher realization.