Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 4
Chapter 373 — ध्यानम्
Dhyāna / Meditation
ध्येयावस्थितचित्तस्य प्रदेशे यत्र कुत्रिचित् ध्यानमेतत्समुद्दिष्टं प्रत्ययस्यैकभावना
dhyeyāvasthitacittasya pradeśe yatra kutricit dhyānametatsamuddiṣṭaṃ pratyayasyaikabhāvanā
Ipinahayag na ang pagninilay (dhyāna) ay ito: para sa may isip na matatag sa bagay na pinagninilayan, saan mang dako, ang iisang-tutok na paglinang sa iisang nilalamang-mental (pratyaya) ang siyang pagninilay.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga-vidya","practical_application":"Operational definition of dhyāna for daily practice: stabilize attention on a chosen object and sustain a single continuous pratyaya without distraction, regardless of external setting.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (single-pratyaya cultivation)","lookup_keywords":["dhyana","pratyaya","ekabhavana","citta-sthiti","yoga-lakshana"],"quick_summary":"Meditation is defined as the sustained, single-stream cultivation of one mental content when the mind is settled on its object; it is not dependent on a particular place."}
Concept: Dhyāna as ekāgratā: uninterrupted single-pratyaya flow grounded in settled citta.
Application: Choose a dhyeya (e.g., mantra, form, breath); maintain one unbroken cognitive stream; when distraction arises, return to the same pratyaya without changing the object.
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya (Dhyana and Samadhi Lakshana)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in steady posture, mind fixed on a single luminous symbol/pratyaya, with the background shifting through different locales to show ‘any place’ suitability.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, serene yogin in padmāsana with stylized lotus halo, minimal landscape panels showing forest, riverbank, and hermitage, flat colors, sacred calm, emphasis on steady gaze and mudrā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central yogin with ornate aureole and gold leaf highlights on halo and seat, a single glowing pratyaya-symbol (bindu/om) before the brow, rich reds and greens, devotional stillness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional composition: labeled elements (dhyeya, citta, pratyaya) subtly inscribed, soft shading, clean lines, calm interior setting indicating practice anywhere.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detail: yogin in a small pavilion with distant landscapes in margins, delicate rendering of focused eyes and a thin stream of light from object to mind, restrained palette, contemplative mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ध्यानमेतत्समुद्दिष्टम् = ध्यानम् + एतत् + समुद्दिष्टम्; प्रत्ययस्यैकभावना = प्रत्ययस्य + एकभावना; कुत्रिचित् → कुत्रचित् (particle चित्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Yoga-vidya sections on dhāraṇā/dhyāna/samādhi (same khanda); Agni Purana mokṣa-dharma passages emphasizing ekāgratā
FAQs
It gives a technical Yoga definition of dhyāna: sustained, single-pointed cultivation of one pratyaya (a single mental content) with the mind established on the chosen object, regardless of location.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves precise Yoga terminology—here defining meditation in a succinct, sūtra-like way that functions as a practical manual entry.
By training the mind into one-pointed continuity on a chosen object, the practitioner reduces distraction and mental impurities, preparing the ground for deeper absorption (samādhi) and inner purification.