Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 2
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
मृगसङ्गाम्मृगो भूत्वा ह्य् अन्तकाले स्मरन् मृगं जातिस्मरो मृगस्त्यक्त्वा देहं योगात्स्वतो ऽभवत्
mṛgasaṅgāmmṛgo bhūtvā hy antakāle smaran mṛgaṃ jātismaro mṛgastyaktvā dehaṃ yogātsvato 'bhavat
Из-за привязанности к оленю он стал оленем; и в час смерти, вспоминая того оленя, вновь родился оленем — однако сохранил память о прежнем рождении. Затем тот олень, оставив тело, силой йоги снова достиг своего истинного состояния.
Lord Agni (narrating puranic-dharmic instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the usual Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Guides ethical psychology: cultivate non-attachment and disciplined remembrance so the final thought (antya-smṛti) aligns with liberation rather than rebirth.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Antya-smṛti and rebirth—mṛga-saṅga leading to mṛga-janma; yoga restoring svarūpa","lookup_keywords":["antakāla-smaraṇa","saṅga","punarjanma","jāti-smara","yoga"],"quick_summary":"Attachment shapes the last thought, and the last thought shapes the next birth; yet yogic power and retained memory can redirect the being back toward its true state."}
Alamkara Type: Punaranvaya/anuvṛtti (repetition of 'mṛga' to hammer causality); arthāntaranyāsa (general principle illustrated by example).
Concept: Saṅga (attachment) imprints vāsanā; antakāla-smṛti channels the jīva’s gati; yoga can burn saṃskāras and restore svarūpa-jñāna.
Application: Practice daily smaraṇa of īśvara/ātman, reduce obsessive attachments, and cultivate meditation so the mind’s default object at death is liberating.
Khanda Section: Dharma & Karma (Smriti-style teachings; rebirth and last-thought doctrine)
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage attached to a deer; at death he remembers the deer and is reborn as a deer with human-like recollection; later, through yoga, the deer abandons the body and attains its true state.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel narrative: ascetic feeding a deer in forest; second panel deer in meditation posture near hermitage fire, subtle aura indicating jāti-smara, stylized trees and earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central deer with divine aura and gold halo symbolizing retained memory, small vignette of dying sage thinking of deer, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, gold leaf emphasis on karmic causality.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, sequential storyboard with captions: 'saṅga' scene, 'antakāla-smṛti' scene, 'jāti-smara' deer meditating, fine lines and gentle colors, didactic layout.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed forest landscape with deer and ascetic, later scene of deer near river in yogic stillness, naturalistic animals, delicate foliage, narrative cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mṛgasaṅgāmmṛgo → mṛgasaṅgāt + mṛgaḥ; hy antakāle → hi + antakāle; mṛgastyaktvā → mṛgaḥ + tyaktvā; yogātsvato 'bhavat → yogāt + svataḥ + abhavat
Related Themes: Agni Purana: mokṣa-dharma/karma-gati discussions in adjacent Brahma-jñāna/Advaita chapters; Agni Purana: yoga and dhyāna instructions (elsewhere)
FAQs
It imparts the practical doctrine of antya-smṛti: the dominant object of remembrance at death—shaped by attachment (saṅga)—conditions the next birth; yogic discipline can restore liberation even after an adverse rebirth.
Alongside rituals and sciences, the Agni Purana also compiles core dharma-psychology: how saṅga (attachment), smṛti (mental fixation), karma, and yoga interact—linking ethics, soteriology, and mind-training into a single instructional framework.
It warns that attachment can override one’s spiritual trajectory at death, yet affirms that sustained yogic merit and right knowledge can culminate in release—showing both the risk of saṅga and the redemptive power of yoga.