Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 10
Chapter 376 — ब्रह्मज्ञानम्
Knowledge of Brahman
स्थूलं शरीरं ध्यात्वास्माल्लयं ब्रह्मणि चिन्तयेत् पञ्चीकृतानि भूतानि तत्कार्यञ्च विराट्स्मृतम्
sthūlaṃ śarīraṃ dhyātvāsmāllayaṃ brahmaṇi cintayet pañcīkṛtāni bhūtāni tatkāryañca virāṭsmṛtam
ஸ்தூல உடலைத் தியானித்து, அதன் பிரம்மத்தில் லயத்தைச் சிந்திக்க வேண்டும். பஞ்சீக்ருத ஐந்து பூதங்களும் அவற்றின் சமஷ்டி-காரியமும் ‘விராட்’ என நினைவுகூரப்படுகின்றன.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Guided laya-krama meditation: contemplate the gross body and resolve it into Brahman; understand Virat as the cosmic gross aggregate of quintuplicated elements.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Laya-chintana: Dissolution of the Gross Body into Brahman; Virat as Panchikrita-bhuta-karya","lookup_keywords":["laya","sthula-sharira-dhyana","virat","panchikrita-bhuta","brahman-chintana"],"quick_summary":"Meditate on the gross body and mentally dissolve it into Brahman; the quintuplicated elements and their aggregate effect are termed Virat, the cosmic gross form."}
Concept: Laya (resolution) of the gross body into Brahman; Virat as the macrocosmic gross totality of panchikrita elements.
Application: In meditation, reverse the superimposition: body→elements→Virat-totality→Brahman, reducing dehatmabuddhi (body-identification).
Khanda Section: Yoga-Vedanta (Brahmavidya / Sankhya-Yoga teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in meditation visualizing the gross body dissolving into the five gross elements, which expand into the cosmic Virat form and finally merge into formless Brahman-light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: meditating sage in padmasana, five colored element-symbols rising from the body; behind, a towering Virat silhouette filled with stars and elemental motifs; final background as luminous Brahman field.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold halo; five element emblems (earth, water, fire, air, ether) in embossed gold; Virat as a grand gold-outlined cosmic figure; Brahman as radiant gold-white mandala.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: stepwise instructional tableau with arrows: gross body → panchikrita bhutas → Virat; soft washes, precise outlines, didactic labels in Devanagari-style cartouches.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: contemplative ascetic in a quiet chamber; translucent layers show body dissolving into colored spheres; a vast Virat figure appears in the sky; final wash of unbounded light; intricate border patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ध्यात्वा अस्मात् → ध्यात्वास्मात्; अस्मात् लयम् → अस्माल्लयम् (t + l → ll); तत् कार्यम् च → तत्कार्यञ्च (t + k; m + c → ñc); विराट् स्मृतम् → विराट्स्मृतम् (t + s).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 376.9; Agni Purana 376.11; Agni Purana 376.12
FAQs
It teaches a Vedantic meditation method: contemplate the gross body (sthūla-śarīra) and mentally dissolve it into Brahman, understanding the body as constituted by pañcīkṛta (quintuplicated) elements and their aggregate (Virāṭ).
It adds Brahmavidyā/Yoga philosophy to the Purana’s wide scope by incorporating technical Vedanta cosmology (pañcīkaraṇa, Virāṭ) alongside practical meditative instruction, showing the text’s coverage beyond ritual into metaphysics and contemplative science.
By re-framing the body as a temporary elemental aggregate and contemplating its reabsorption into Brahman, the practitioner reduces bodily identification, strengthens dispassion (vairāgya), and moves toward liberation-oriented insight (mokṣa-buddhi).