Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 374 — ध्यान (Dhyāna) — Colophon & Transition to Dhāraṇā
यस्मिन् यस्मिन् भवेदङ्गे योगिनां व्याधिसम्भवः तत्तदङ्गं धिया व्याप्य धारयेत्तत्त्वधारणं
yasmin yasmin bhavedaṅge yogināṃ vyādhisambhavaḥ tattadaṅgaṃ dhiyā vyāpya dhārayettattvadhāraṇaṃ
यस्मिन्यस्मिन्भवेदङ्गे योगिनां व्याधिसम्भवः। तत्तदङ्गं धिया व्याप्य धारयेत्तत्त्वधारणम्॥
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Yoga","practical_application":"A yogic ‘attention-based therapy’: direct concentrated awareness (tattva-dhāraṇā) into the diseased limb to stabilize prāṇa and support recovery.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Tattva-dhāraṇā for limb-specific disease in yogins","lookup_keywords":["vyādhi","aṅga","tattva-dhāraṇā","dhiyā vyāpya","yogic therapy"],"quick_summary":"When illness manifests in a particular limb, mentally pervade that limb with focused awareness and apply elemental concentration there; the method treats disease through prāṇa-manas regulation rather than drugs."}
Concept: Mind (dhī) and prāṇa can be deployed therapeutically; tattva-contemplation is applied locally to the body to correct imbalance and obstruction.
Application: In practice sessions, scan the body; when discomfort appears, stabilize breath, ‘fill’ the region with attention, and contemplate the relevant tattva qualities (e.g., warmth/tejas for cold stiffness; fluidity/ap for dryness) without strain.
Khanda Section: Yoga & Tattva-Dhāraṇā (Meditation therapy / Yogic physiology; often aligned with Ayurveda-style healing in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic yoga material)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seated yogin places inner attention on a highlighted limb (arm/leg), shown as glowing; elemental symbols (pañca-tattva) hover subtly over the limb to indicate tattva-dhāraṇā as therapy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized yogin with one limb illuminated in bright pigment, pañca-tattva icons (earth square, water crescent, fire triangle, air circle, space dot) arranged around the limb, flat sacred composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted affected limb, embossed tattva emblems, calm yogin face, ornate border; emphasis on ‘healing radiance’ entering the limb.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate: yogin posture, arrow showing ‘dhiyā vyāpya’ (mind pervading limb), neat tattva symbols labeled, soft colors and precise outlines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: physician-yogin in a quiet chamber, subtle glow in the limb, delicate elemental motifs in the margin, fine brushwork and naturalistic anatomy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेदङ्गे → भवेत् + अङ्गे; तत्तदङ्गं → तत् + तत् + अङ्गम्; धारयेत्तत्त्वधारणं → धारयेत् + तत्त्वधारणम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana Yoga-vidya: sections on tattva-dhāraṇā, nāḍī, prāṇa movement, and dhyāna as remedial practice (same khanda context)
FAQs
It teaches a therapeutic yogic method: identify the diseased limb, suffuse it with concentrated awareness, and apply tattva-dhāraṇā (element-focused concentration) directly to that body-part as a remedial practice.
Alongside ritual and doctrine, the Agni Purana preserves practical applied knowledge—here, a mind–body healing instruction that overlaps yoga psychology and proto-medical therapeutics, expanding the text beyond purely mythic narration.
By stabilizing attention (dhāraṇā) and harmonizing the body through tattva-awareness, the yogin cultivates inner purity and mastery of the senses—supporting steadiness in sādhana and reducing obstacles caused by illness.