Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 29
Adhyāya 375 — समाधिः
Samādhi
अनादिरादिमान् यश् च स एव पुरुषः परः लिङ्गेन्द्रियैर् उपग्राह्याः स विकार उदाहृतः
anādirādimān yaś ca sa eva puruṣaḥ paraḥ liṅgendriyair upagrāhyāḥ sa vikāra udāhṛtaḥ
那位无始而又为诸始之源者——唯他是至上之人（Puruṣa）。凡通过灵身（liṅga，微细身）与诸根而被认知者，被称为“变异”（vikāra）。
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Discriminate Purusha (unchanging witness) from vikara (changeable psycho-physical complex grasped via senses); supports meditation and detachment from sensory identifications.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Purusha as Beginningless Source; Vikara as Sense-Apprehended Modification","lookup_keywords":["purusha para","anadi adiman","linga sharira","indriya grahya","vikara"],"quick_summary":"Purusha is beginningless yet the ground of all beginnings. Whatever is grasped through the subtle body and senses is vikara—changeable modification—hence not the ultimate Self."}
Concept: Purusha is transcendent and unmodified; the sensed and subtle-body-mediated experience is vikara (mutable).
Application: In meditation, label sensations/thoughts as vikara and return to the stance of the witness (sakshi-bhava).
Khanda Section: Sankhya–Vedanta / Tattva-nirupana (Metaphysics: Purusha, Prakriti, Vikara)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A luminous, still Purusha as a silent witness above, while below the subtle body and senses project shifting forms labeled as vikara (thoughts, emotions, sensory objects).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central radiant witness-figure (Purusha) seated in stillness, below a swirling band of sensory icons (eye, ear, etc.) and subtle-body aura, traditional floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Purusha as a serene golden-haloed figure with embossed gold aura, beneath it layered translucent forms representing linga and indriyas, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic clarity: Purusha above, linga-sharira as a subtle sheath, indriyas as icons, arrows showing ‘grahya’ leading to vikara; fine gesso highlights","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined philosophical allegory: a calm ascetic (Purusha) observing a bustling sensory marketplace (vikara), intricate textiles and architecture, marginal calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अनादिरादिमान् → अनादिः आदिमान्; यश् → यः; लिङ्गेन्द्रियैर् → लिङ्ग-इन्द्रियैः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Tattva-nirupana passages on Purusha–Prakriti and vikara; Agni Purana: Yoga sections on viveka and kaivalya/moksha
FAQs
It gives a technical metaphysical distinction: the Supreme Puruṣa is beyond change, while whatever is knowable via the subtle body and senses is classified as vikāra (a change-product/evolute).
Alongside ritual and practical sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies philosophical categories (puruṣa, liṅga-śarīra, indriyas, vikāra), showing its coverage of classical Indian metaphysics in a concise definitional style.
By separating the changeless Supreme Self from sense-grasped modifications, it supports detachment and discriminative insight (viveka), a basis for liberation-oriented practice and reduced karmic entanglement.