Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
अध्याय १६२ — धर्मशास्त्रकथनम्
Dharmaśāstra Exposition: Authorities, Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti, Upākarman, and Anadhyāya Rules
काम्यं कर्म प्रवृत्तं स्यान्निवृत्तं ज्ञानपूर्वकं वेदाभ्यासस्तपो ज्ञानमिन्दियाणाञ्च संयमः
kāmyaṃ karma pravṛttaṃ syānnivṛttaṃ jñānapūrvakaṃ vedābhyāsastapo jñānamindiyāṇāñca saṃyamaḥ
由欲望所驱之业，应知为入世之道（pravṛtti）；而出离之业（nivṛtti）则以智慧为先。修持吠陀、苦行（tapas）、真实之知与调伏诸根——此皆其方便。
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s dharma/knowledge teachings to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Differentiate kāmya-karma (desire-driven rites) from nivṛtti grounded in jñāna; adopt the listed disciplines—svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, indriya-saṃyama—as a practical sādhanā set for liberation-oriented life.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nivṛtti-sādhana: Svādhyāya–Tapas–Jñāna–Indriya-saṃyama","lookup_keywords":["kāmya-karma","svādhyāya","tapas","indriya-saṃyama","nivṛtti"],"quick_summary":"Engagement is desire-motivated action; withdrawal is knowledge-led discipline. The verse enumerates core practices that mature renunciation into liberating insight."}
Concept: Kāmya-karma belongs to pravṛtti; nivṛtti is jñāna-pūrvaka and is supported by svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, and sense-control.
Application: Create a daily regimen: fixed Veda/Upaniṣad study, moderated austerities, reflective inquiry, and deliberate restraint of sensory impulses to shift motivation from desire to knowledge.
Khanda Section: Moksha-dharma / Karma-yoga and Jnana (Ethics of action and renunciation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An ascetic student practices four disciplines: reciting from a manuscript (svādhyāya), performing austerity near a sacred fire (tapas), meditating with inquiry (jñāna), and restraining senses symbolized by reins on horses (indriya-saṃyama).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four-panel narrative around a central meditating sage; manuscript recitation, tapas by fire, contemplative jñāna, and chariot-horses restrained by reins; temple mural framing and muted ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central yogin with gold halo; surrounding gold-embossed vignettes of svādhyāya, tapas, jñāna, indriya-saṃyama; ornate jewelry minimal, emphasis on sacred implements and gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic composition with labeled icons: book for svādhyāya, fire for tapas, lamp for jñāna, reins for indriya-saṃyama; soft colors, fine outlines, subtle gilding.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly hermitage scene with detailed objects—inkpot, palm leaves, fire altar, rosary; symbolic horses in the margin restrained; delicate shading and architectural depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्यान्निवृत्तं = स्यात् + निवृत्तम्; वेदाभ्यासस्तपो = वेदाभ्यासः + तपः; ज्ञानमिन्दियाणाञ्च = ज्ञानम् + इन्द्रियाणाम् + च (IAST 'indiyāṇāṃ' normalized to इन्द्रियाणाम्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: sections on vrata/tapas and svādhyāya; Agni Purana: mokṣa teachings emphasizing indriya-nigraha and jñāna
FAQs
It classifies actions into pravṛtti (desire-driven kāmya-karma) and nivṛtti (renunciatory discipline rooted in jñāna), and lists practical sādhanas: Veda-study, tapas, knowledge, and sense-restraint.
Alongside ritual and worldly duties, the Agni Purana also systematizes philosophical soteriology—mapping karma categories and prescribing a concise toolkit of disciplines (study, austerity, discernment, self-control) that connect dharma to mokṣa.
It teaches that desire-based acts bind one to worldly outcomes, while renunciatory practice guided by knowledge purifies the mind and supports liberation through disciplined study, austerity, and control of the senses.