Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Āsana–Prāṇāyāma–Pratyāhāra
Posture, Breath-control, and Withdrawal of the Senses
इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वं यत् स्वर्गनरकावुभौ निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च
indriyāṇyeva tatsarvaṃ yat svarganarakāvubhau nigṛhītavisṛṣṭāni svargāya narakāya ca
وہ سب دراصل حواس ہی ہیں؛ جنت اور دوزخ—دونوں—حواس ہی سے پیدا ہوتے ہیں۔ جب حواس قابو میں ہوں تو جنت کی طرف لے جاتے ہیں، اور جب چھوڑ دیے جائیں تو دوزخ کی طرف۔
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma/yoga teaching, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Ethical self-regulation: treat sense-restraint as the practical cause of uplift (svarga) and sense-indulgence as the cause of downfall (naraka).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Indriyas as the cause of Svarga and Naraka","lookup_keywords":["indriya","svarga","naraka","nigraha","visarga"],"quick_summary":"Heaven and hell are traced to the senses: restrained senses elevate, unrestrained senses degrade—making self-control the hinge of karmic outcome."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha
Concept: Karmic polarity is rooted in indriya-vyapara: restraint (nigraha) yields auspicious gati; indulgence (visarga) yields suffering.
Application: Use a daily audit: identify one sense habit to restrain; replace it with a sattvic alternative (silence, moderation, mindful intake).
Khanda Section: Moksha-Dharma / Yoga-Śāstra (Mind–sense control and karmic consequence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split scene: on one side a person restraining senses ascending toward a luminous realm; on the other, senses unleashed pulling one toward a dark abyss—showing svarga and naraka as outcomes of indriya control.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel composition, left: calm ascetic with controlled senses and bright aura; right: chaotic figure dragged by stylized sense-animals into dark reds, strong outlines, symbolic flames and clouds","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, symmetrical diptych with gold work: svarga side with celestial motifs and lotuses; naraka side with darker tones, restrained but clear iconography, ornate frame separating outcomes","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic illustration: labeled arrows ‘nigraha→svarga’ and ‘visarga→naraka’, gentle colors, fine linework, emphasis on moral instruction","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, allegorical garden vs wasteland: refined figure practicing restraint in a pavilion; indulgent figure amid tavern-like distractions leading to a shadowy ravine, intricate detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इन्द्रियाण्येव → इन्द्रियाणि + एव; तत्सर्वं → तत् + सर्वम्; स्वर्गनरकावुभौ → स्वर्गनरकौ + उभौ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Moksha-dharma passages on karma, gati, and indriya-samyama (same khanda)
FAQs
It imparts the practical yoga-ethical principle of indriya-nigraha: restraining the senses is taught as the operative method that conduces to higher states (svarga), while sense-indulgence (visṛṣṭa-indriya) drives downfall (naraka).
Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purana also preserves concise yoga-psychology: it frames moral destiny (svarga/naraka) through a behavioral mechanism—sense governance—showing its wide-ranging, systematizing approach to human life.
It locates karmic outcome in inner discipline: mastery of the senses purifies conduct and supports meritorious karma, whereas unrestrained craving and aversion generate actions that ripen into suffering.