Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 378: Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
निवृत्तैर् ज्ञानयोगेन ज्ञानमूर्तिः स चेक्ष्यते ह्रस्वदीर्घप्लुताद्यन्तु वचस्तत्पुरुषोत्तमः
nivṛttair jñānayogena jñānamūrtiḥ sa cekṣyate hrasvadīrghaplutādyantu vacastatpuruṣottamaḥ
Por aqueles que se retiraram (da atividade dos sentidos) mediante a disciplina do yoga do conhecimento, Ele—cuja própria forma é conhecimento—é de fato percebido. E a fala (vāc), começando pelas medidas breve, longa e prolata (pluta), é, em última instância, esse Puruṣottama, a Pessoa Suprema.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Bridges spiritual practice with phonetics/prosody: frames realization through jnana-yoga and sacralizes speech-sound units (hrasva, dirgha, pluta) as ultimately rooted in the Supreme—useful for mantra recitation, chanting discipline, and linguistic study.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Jnana-murti perceived by nivritta jnana-yoga; speech-measures (hrasva-dirgha-pluta) as Purushottama","lookup_keywords":["jnana-yoga","jnana-murti","hrasva","dirgha","pluta"],"quick_summary":"Withdrawn practitioners perceive the Lord as knowledge itself. The measures of speech—short, long, and prolated—are contemplated as culminating in the Supreme Person, sanctifying phonetics as a spiritual path."}
Alamkara Type: Tattva-vyakhya (didactic statement)
Concept: Nivritti through jnana-yoga enables perception of the Lord as jnana-svarupa; vak (speech) and its quantitative measures are contemplated as ultimately non-separate from Purushottama (shabda-brahman orientation).
Application: In japa/chanting, maintain precise vowel quantity (hrasva/dirgha/pluta) and treat sound as a contemplative support; combine phonetic discipline with inward withdrawal to stabilize attention.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas & Varna-phonetics / Prosody and phonology)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditating yogin with senses withdrawn; before him, floating syllables and three rhythmic markers labeled hrasva, dirgha, pluta, merging into a radiant Purushottama figure made of light and sound-waves.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yogin in meditation, stylized sound-waves and aksharas in circular mandala, three distinct glyph bands for hrasva/dirgha/pluta, central luminous Vishnu-like Purushottama, earthy pigments with bright highlights.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Purushottama with gold aura, surrounding ring of Sanskrit aksharas, three gold-embossed segments indicating vowel lengths, devotional yet scholarly composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional phonetics tableau: clear labels for hrasva-dirgha-pluta, a teacher-sage pointing to a chart while a yogin meditates, fine linework and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-yogi in a quiet chamber, manuscripts open to phonetic tables, translucent sound-ripples rising into a divine form, intricate borders and delicate calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निवृत्तैर् = निवृत्तैः (विसर्ग-लोप); स चेक्ष्यते = सः + च + ईक्ष्यते; ह्रस्वदीर्घप्लुताद्यन्तु = ह्रस्व + दीर्घ + प्लुत + आदि + अन्तु; वचस्तत्पुरुषोत्तमः = वचः + तत्पुरुषोत्तमः
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra portions on chandas, varna, svara, matra; Agni Purana Mantra/stotra sections where correct svara and matra are implied for efficacy
FAQs
It links Sanskrit phonetic measures—hrasva (short), dīrgha (long), and pluta (prolated)—to the theory of vāc (speech), framing prosodic/phonological knowledge within a spiritual understanding of sound.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also teaches technical disciplines like chandas and varṇa-śikṣā (metrics and phonetics). This verse shows how linguistic science is integrated with metaphysics, typical of the text’s wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
It teaches that inner withdrawal through jñāna-yoga leads to realization of the Supreme as pure knowledge, and that disciplined, correctly-measured speech ultimately points to (and is grounded in) Purushottama—supporting purification through right knowledge and right utterance.