Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 2
Chapter 381 — यमगीता
Yama-gītā
यम उवाच आसनं शयनं यानपरिधानगृहादिकम् वाञ्छत्यहो ऽतिमोहेन सुस्थिरं स्वयमस्थिरः
yama uvāca āsanaṃ śayanaṃ yānaparidhānagṛhādikam vāñchatyaho 'timohena susthiraṃ svayamasthiraḥ
Яма сказал: Увы! По крайнему заблуждению тот, кто сам непостоянен (непребывающ), жаждет того, что кажется весьма устойчивым: сиденья, ложа, повозки, одежды, дома и тому подобного.
Yama
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Cultivate vairagya by reflecting on impermanence; reduce obsessive acquisition and plan life with death-awareness (ethical living, charity, detachment).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Impermanence vs. craving for stable possessions (Yama’s admonition)","lookup_keywords":["anityatva","moha","parigraha","vairagya","Yama-upadesha"],"quick_summary":"The mortal, though impermanent, clings to ‘stable’ assets like home, bed, clothing, and vehicles. The practical takeaway is to weaken delusion by remembering transience and limiting possessiveness."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha (paradox/contrast)
Concept: Anityatva and aparigraha: the unstable self should not cling to stable-seeming possessions; moha is the root of bondage.
Application: Daily contemplation of death (maraṇa-smṛti), voluntary simplicity, disciplined giving, and reducing identity tied to property/status.
Khanda Section: Preta-Khanda / Naraka-Varnana (Yama’s instruction on death, afterlife, and karmic consequence)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Yama instructs a human soul about the folly of craving seats, beds, vehicles, clothes, and houses despite life’s impermanence; symbolic contrast of decaying body and solid mansion/objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Yama seated with danda and buffalo emblem, calm didactic gesture, a pale human figure listening, background showing house, bed, garments, chariot as symbolic icons, earthy reds and greens, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Yama as regal deity with gold halo and embossed ornaments, the human petitioner below, gold-leaf highlighting the ‘stable’ possessions (house, bed, palanquin), rich maroons and greens, devotional-didactic mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, soft shading, Yama teaching with scroll-like labels for asana/shayana/yana/vastra/griha, minimal background, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scene with Yama as stern judge, the mortal in humble posture, detailed objects—carriage, textiles, architecture—rendered with precision, muted palette, moralizing caption panel"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यम उवाच → यमः उवाच (विसर्ग-लोप); वाञ्छत्यहो → वाञ्छति अहो; 'तिमोहेन → अतिमोहेन; स्वयमस्थिरः → स्वयम् अस्थिरः.
Related Themes: Preta-khanda: Naraka-varnana (Yama-dharma); Moksha-dharma sections on vairagya and tyaga
FAQs
It imparts ethical-spiritual instruction (dharma-viveka): recognizing impermanence and reducing attachment to material possessions (seat, bed, vehicle, clothes, house).
Alongside rituals and sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves moral and afterlife teachings; this verse belongs to the Yama/Naraka discourse that systematizes karmic psychology—why beings cling to worldly stability despite their transient nature.
It highlights moha (delusion) as a cause of bondage: craving permanence in impermanent life strengthens attachment and thus perpetuates karmic entanglement; the remedy implied is vairāgya (dispassion) and right discernment.