Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 25
Chapter 338 — शृङ्गारादिरसनिरूपणम्
Exposition of the Rasas beginning with Śṛṅgāra
भयरागाद्युपस्थित इति ख दैन्यं सत्त्वादपभ्रंशश्चिन्तार्थपरिभावनं इतिकर्तव्यतोपायाद्रशनं मोह उच्यते
bhayarāgādyupasthita iti kha dainyaṃ sattvādapabhraṃśaścintārthaparibhāvanaṃ itikartavyatopāyādraśanaṃ moha ucyate
เมื่อความกลัว ความยึดติด และสิ่งคล้ายกันเกิดขึ้น ย่อมมีความหดหู่; ความมั่นคงแห่งใจเสื่อมลง; มีการครุ่นคิดหมกมุ่นต่อเรื่องที่กังวล; และไม่เห็นว่า ‘ควรทำอะไร’ กับ ‘ทำอย่างไร’—สิ่งนี้เรียกว่า ‘โมหะ’.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Recognize the cognitive-emotional cascade leading to moha (delusion) for correcting character portrayal in poetry/drama and for personal decision-making under stress.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Moha (delusion) and its markers","lookup_keywords":["moha","bhaya","rāga","dainya","sattvāpabhraṃśa","itikartavyatā"],"quick_summary":"Moha is defined by dejection under fear/attachment, loss of steadiness, obsessive brooding, and inability to perceive what should be done and the means—useful as a diagnostic of impaired agency."}
Concept: Moha is not mere ignorance but a functional collapse: fear/attachment → dejection → loss of steadiness → obsessive thought → inability to see duty and means.
Application: Cultivate steadiness (sattva), reduce rāga-bhaya triggers, and re-establish ‘itikartavyatā’ (clear next steps) before acting.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara: technical definitions of mental states and aesthetics)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A person overwhelmed by fear and attachment, slumped in dejection, surrounded by swirling thought-forms, unable to choose a path—symbolizing loss of itikartavyatā and upāya.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: central figure seated with head in hand (dainya), dark swirling motifs around the head for obsessive brooding, two personified forces—Bhaya and Rāga—pulling from either side; strong outlines, symbolic color coding.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold-leaf allegory: Moha as a veiled figure casting a shadow over a householder; Bhaya and Rāga as ornate attendants; a small lamp (itikartavyatā) dimmed; rich reds and gold embossing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional: sequential mini-panels showing fear/attachment arising, steadiness falling away, rumination, and inability to see duty/means; delicate lines, clear labels.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: a noble in a garden pavilion, torn between a beloved and looming threat, advisors pointing to different routes while he stares blankly; fine facial expression, detailed flora and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhayarāgādyupasthitaḥ = bhaya-rāga-ādi-upasthitaḥ; sattvādapabhraṃśaḥ = sattvāt + apabhraṃśaḥ; apabhraṃśaścintā... = apabhraṃśaḥ + cintā...; itikartavyatopāyādraśanam read as itikartavyatā-upāya-adarśanam (adarśanam ‘non-seeing’). Token 'kha' appears as a stray/variant marker in the provided text.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 338.26 (smṛti/mati as cognitive counterpoints to moha)
FAQs
It gives a technical lakṣaṇa (definition) of moha—delusion—by listing its diagnostic signs: fear/attachment arising, dejection, loss of steadiness, obsessive brooding, and inability to discern the proper action and its means.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies literary theory and applied psychology; this verse functions like a concise handbook-definition used in Sanskrit poetics to classify inner states for drama and kāvya.
Spiritually, it frames moha as a loss of discernment (failure to see both duty and remedy), implying that restoring clarity and steadiness is essential for right action (dharma) and for avoiding harmful, confusion-driven karma.