Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 51
Adhyāya 379 — अद्वैतब्रह्मविज्ञानम्
Advaita-brahma-vijñāna
सो ऽहं गन्ता न चागन्ता नैकदेशनिकेतनः त्वं चान्यो न भवेन्नापि नान्यस्त्वत्तो ऽस्मि वा प्यहं
so 'haṃ gantā na cāgantā naikadeśaniketanaḥ tvaṃ cānyo na bhavennāpi nānyastvatto 'smi vā pyahaṃ
सोऽहं तत्त्वम्; न गच्छामि न चागच्छामि, नैकदेशनिकेतनः। त्वं च नान्यो मत्तः; नाप्यहं त्वत्तोऽन्यः कदाचन॥
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in a jñāna/vedānta passage)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Vedanta","practical_application":"Daily nididhyasana on non-duality (so’ham-bhavana): reducing fear, grief, and interpersonal othering by seeing the same Self in all.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"So’ham—Non-going, Non-coming, Non-localized Self; Non-difference of I and You","lookup_keywords":["so'ham","agamana-gamana-abhava","adesha-niketa","abheda","atman-brahman"],"quick_summary":"The Self is actionless and not spatially confined; the apparent difference between ‘I’ and ‘you’ is negated. Practice is to rest in identity-consciousness rather than body-mind movement."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha (apparent contradiction) with neti-neti style negation
Concept: Atman is akarta/abhokta, not subject to motion or location; bheda between self and other is mithya.
Application: Use self-inquiry: ‘Who goes/comes?’; disidentify from body-mind and relate to others from abheda-drishti.
Khanda Section: Vedanta / Atma-Jnana (Non-dual Self-knowledge)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene teacher-disciple setting where the ‘I’ and ‘you’ dissolve into a single luminous presence; no travel, no locality—only boundless awareness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, two sages seated under a stylized tree, minimal landscape, central golden aura merging both figures, calm shanta mood, traditional earthy pigments, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, thick gold leaf halo expanding to encompass teacher and disciple, jewel-like colors, minimal background, emphasis on luminous non-dual presence","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, subtle shading, teacher pointing inward (hridaya), disciple in meditative posture, soft aureole indicating identity, instructional serenity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate garden pavilion, two ascetics in dialogue, delicate wash, a translucent shared halo overlaying both, restrained palette conveying stillness"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सोऽहम् = सः + अहम्; चागन्ता = च + आगन्ता; नैकदेशनिकेतनः = न + एकदेशनिकेतनः; चान्यो = च + अन्यः; भवेन्नापि = भवेत् + न + अपि; नान्यः = न + अन्यः; अन्यस्त्वत्तोऽस्मि = अन्यः + त्वत्तः + अस्मि; वाप्यहम् = वा + अपि + अहम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 379 (Atma-jnana / Nidagha–Rtu samvada context)
FAQs
It imparts Advaita-vidyā (non-dual Self-knowledge): realizing the Self as Brahman—beyond motion, arrival/departure, and spatial limitation—thus negating perceived difference between “I” and “you.”
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves Vedāntic instruction; this verse exemplifies its jñāna-yoga dimension by presenting a concise non-dual doctrine (identity of Ātman and Brahman).
By dissolving the sense of separateness, it supports mokṣa-oriented purification: ignorance (avidyā) and ego-based doership are weakened, reducing karmic bondage rooted in “I act” and “I am different.”