Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 18
Explanation of the Final Dissolution (Ātyantika Laya) and the Arising of Hiraṇyagarbha — Subtle Body, Post-Death Transit, Rebirth, and Embodied Constituents
कर्मण्यल्पावशेषे तु नरकादपि मुच्यते मुक्तस्तु नरकाद्याति तिर्यग्योनिं न संशयः
karmaṇyalpāvaśeṣe tu narakādapi mucyate muktastu narakādyāti tiryagyoniṃ na saṃśayaḥ
جب کرم کا تھوڑا سا حصہ باقی رہ جائے تو نرک سے بھی رہائی مل جاتی ہے؛ مگر نرک سے چھوٹ کر وہ تِریَگ-یونی (حیوانی جنم) میں جاتا ہے—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Promotes ethical vigilance by warning that release from hell does not guarantee human birth; residual karma can lead to animal rebirth, encouraging prāyaścitta and dharmic living.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Karma-avaśeṣa: release from naraka and tiryagyoni transition","lookup_keywords":["naraka-moksha","karma-avasheṣa","tiryagyoni","rebirth sequence","karmagati"],"quick_summary":"When karma is nearly exhausted, one may be freed from hell; yet the post-hell trajectory can be an animal womb, illustrating graded karmic outcomes rather than immediate uplift."}
Concept: Karma operates by remainder: partial exhaustion can end a naraka-term, but the next birth may still be subhuman if residues persist.
Application: Adopt sustained dharmic conduct and corrective rites to avoid tiryagyoni tendencies (cruelty, deceit, violence) and to cultivate sattva for higher gati.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Karma-gati (Ethics of action, sin, hells, and rebirth)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A being exits a hellish landscape as chains loosen (karma remainder small), yet immediately moves toward an animal womb—shown as a transition from naraka gate to a terrestrial animal birth scene.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, fiery naraka with gatekeepers, central figure released with broken fetters, path leading to an animal mother (deer/cow/dog as symbol) in earthy landscape, strong outlines and dramatic reds/ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-highlighted naraka gate and liberation motif, then a second vignette of animal womb/birth, ornate borders, moral didactic composition with clear separation of realms","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, sequential storyboard: (1) naraka release due to small karma remainder, (2) entry into tiryagyoni; soft colors, precise linework, explanatory clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed infernal architecture transitioning to pastoral scene with animals; the same figure subtly indicated across scenes; fine brushwork and landscape depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: karmaṇyalpāvaśeṣe → karmaṇi alpa-avaśeṣe (इ + अ sandhi); narakādapi → narakāt api; muktastu → muktaḥ tu; narakādyāti → narakāt yāti (त् + य् sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: naraka catalog and gati rules in adjacent verses; Agni Purana: prāyaścitta/vrata sections that mitigate papa
FAQs
It imparts karmic causality (karma-gati): when the remaining stock of karma becomes minimal, suffering in naraka ends, but the post-naraka trajectory can still lead to a lower, non-human rebirth due to residual tendencies.
Alongside ritual, polity, and arts, the Agni Purana also systematizes afterlife mechanics—how karma is exhausted, how naraka functions, and how rebirth follows—making it a comprehensive manual of dharma and cosmology.
It highlights that release from hell is not final liberation; only the full exhaustion or transformation of karmic residue prevents further lower rebirth, underscoring the need for sustained dharmic practice and purification.