Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Chapter 373 — ध्यानम्
Dhyāna / Meditation
यज्ञाद्यं कर्म सन्त्यज्य योगमत्यर्थमभ्यसेत् विकारमुक्तमव्यक्तं भोग्यभोगसमन्वितं
yajñādyaṃ karma santyajya yogamatyarthamabhyaset vikāramuktamavyaktaṃ bhogyabhogasamanvitaṃ
舍弃以祭祀为首的诸般仪式之业，当以至极精勤修习瑜伽——观想无变异之未显者（Avyakta），虽离诸相变，而仍与所享之境与享受之经验（能享）相应。
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Yoga-vidya","practical_application":"Practice intense yoga-abhyāsa grounded in metaphysical contemplation of the Avyakta and the relation between experiencer, experience, and objects—supporting detachment from ritual action.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Renunciation of Ritual Action and Contemplation of the Avyakta in Yoga","lookup_keywords":["yajñādi-karma-tyāga","avyakta","vikāra-mukta","bhogya-bhoga","yoga-abhyāsa"],"quick_summary":"The verse instructs abandoning karma beginning with yajña and undertaking rigorous yoga, contemplating the unmanifest, changeless ground that is nonetheless connected with both objects and the process of enjoyment/experience."}
Concept: Sāṅkhya-Yoga framing: the avyakta is vikāra-mukta (free of modification) yet appears in relation to bhogya (objects) and bhoga (enjoyment/experience), prompting viveka and disidentification from karma.
Application: During meditation, observe the triad—object, experience, experiencer—then trace attention back to the unmanifest ground; support this with karma-sannyāsa (dropping identity in ritual-doership).
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya (Moksha-dharma / Sankhya-Yoga teachings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in deep meditation; behind him, ritual fires and implements recede into shadow. In the inner vision, a subtle unmanifest field is shown, with faint emergence of sense-objects and the act of experiencing, all held in a changeless backdrop.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: meditating sage with stylized inner-vision mandala behind the head—subtle dark field (avyakta) with emerging forms; ritual scene dimmed at the periphery; traditional ornamental frame.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold halo; background shows a dark, smooth ‘unmanifest’ panel with delicate gold outlines of sense-objects dissolving back; rich gold work emphasizing changelessness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic yet artistic—three icons labeled by implication (object, enjoyment, enjoyer) dissolving into a single subtle field; clean lines, soft colors, didactic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: interior meditation chamber; a faint translucent overlay depicts metaphysical symbols (cloudlike avyakta, dissolving objects); meticulous textiles and architecture, subdued contemplative palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yajñādyaṃ = यज्ञ-आद्यम्; atyartham = अति-अर्थम् (अव्ययीभाव); vikāramuktamavyaktaṃ = विकारमुक्तम् + अव्यक्तम्; bhogyabhogasamanvitaṃ = भोग्य-अभोग-समन्वितम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sāṅkhya enumeration and guṇa-traya meditation passages; Agni Purana: Mokṣa-dharma sections on karma-tyāga and yoga-abhyāsa
FAQs
It teaches Karma-tyāga (renunciation of sacrificial/ritual action) as a prerequisite for intensive Yoga-abhyāsa focused on the avyakta (the unmanifest principle).
Beyond ritual manuals, the Agni Purana also preserves systematic Mokṣa-śāstra material—Sāṅkhya-Yoga terminology (karma, avyakta, vikāra) and contemplative method—showing its coverage of both outward rites and inward liberation disciplines.
It redirects the seeker from merit-producing ritual karma to liberation-oriented practice, emphasizing realization of an unchanging (vikāra-mukta) principle as the basis for freedom from bondage created by enjoyment and non-enjoyment.