Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 378: Brahma-jñāna
Knowledge of Brahman
निवृत्तैर् ज्ञानयोगेन ज्ञानमूर्तिः स चेक्ष्यते ह्रस्वदीर्घप्लुताद्यन्तु वचस्तत्पुरुषोत्तमः
nivṛttair jñānayogena jñānamūrtiḥ sa cekṣyate hrasvadīrghaplutādyantu vacastatpuruṣottamaḥ
ผู้ที่สงบถอนจากอายตนะด้วยญาณโยคะ ย่อมประจักษ์พระองค์ผู้มีรูปเป็นญาณโดยแท้. และวาจา ตั้งแต่เสียงสั้น ยาว จนถึงเสียงยืด (ปลุตะ) ในที่สุดก็คือปรุโษตตมะนั้นเอง.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Bridges spiritual practice with phonetics/prosody: frames realization through jnana-yoga and sacralizes speech-sound units (hrasva, dirgha, pluta) as ultimately rooted in the Supreme—useful for mantra recitation, chanting discipline, and linguistic study.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Jnana-murti perceived by nivritta jnana-yoga; speech-measures (hrasva-dirgha-pluta) as Purushottama","lookup_keywords":["jnana-yoga","jnana-murti","hrasva","dirgha","pluta"],"quick_summary":"Withdrawn practitioners perceive the Lord as knowledge itself. The measures of speech—short, long, and prolated—are contemplated as culminating in the Supreme Person, sanctifying phonetics as a spiritual path."}
Alamkara Type: Tattva-vyakhya (didactic statement)
Concept: Nivritti through jnana-yoga enables perception of the Lord as jnana-svarupa; vak (speech) and its quantitative measures are contemplated as ultimately non-separate from Purushottama (shabda-brahman orientation).
Application: In japa/chanting, maintain precise vowel quantity (hrasva/dirgha/pluta) and treat sound as a contemplative support; combine phonetic discipline with inward withdrawal to stabilize attention.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas & Varna-phonetics / Prosody and phonology)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditating yogin with senses withdrawn; before him, floating syllables and three rhythmic markers labeled hrasva, dirgha, pluta, merging into a radiant Purushottama figure made of light and sound-waves.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yogin in meditation, stylized sound-waves and aksharas in circular mandala, three distinct glyph bands for hrasva/dirgha/pluta, central luminous Vishnu-like Purushottama, earthy pigments with bright highlights.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Purushottama with gold aura, surrounding ring of Sanskrit aksharas, three gold-embossed segments indicating vowel lengths, devotional yet scholarly composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional phonetics tableau: clear labels for hrasva-dirgha-pluta, a teacher-sage pointing to a chart while a yogin meditates, fine linework and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-yogi in a quiet chamber, manuscripts open to phonetic tables, translucent sound-ripples rising into a divine form, intricate borders and delicate calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निवृत्तैर् = निवृत्तैः (विसर्ग-लोप); स चेक्ष्यते = सः + च + ईक्ष्यते; ह्रस्वदीर्घप्लुताद्यन्तु = ह्रस्व + दीर्घ + प्लुत + आदि + अन्तु; वचस्तत्पुरुषोत्तमः = वचः + तत्पुरुषोत्तमः
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra portions on chandas, varna, svara, matra; Agni Purana Mantra/stotra sections where correct svara and matra are implied for efficacy
FAQs
It links Sanskrit phonetic measures—hrasva (short), dīrgha (long), and pluta (prolated)—to the theory of vāc (speech), framing prosodic/phonological knowledge within a spiritual understanding of sound.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also teaches technical disciplines like chandas and varṇa-śikṣā (metrics and phonetics). This verse shows how linguistic science is integrated with metaphysics, typical of the text’s wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
It teaches that inner withdrawal through jñāna-yoga leads to realization of the Supreme as pure knowledge, and that disciplined, correctly-measured speech ultimately points to (and is grounded in) Purushottama—supporting purification through right knowledge and right utterance.