Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 21

Brahma-jñāna

Knowledge of Brahman

Devanagari script

देहेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिप्राणाहङ्कारवर्जितं जाग्रत् सप्नसुषुप्त्यादिमुक्तं ब्रह्म तुरीयकं

Transliteration

dehendriyamanobuddhiprāṇāhaṅkāravarjitaṃ jāgrat sapnasuṣuptyādimuktaṃ brahma turīyakaṃ

Translation

被称为“第四”（Turīya）的梵（Brahman），离于身、根、意、智、命息（prāṇa）与我慢；并超越醒、梦与熟睡等诸状态。

Word by Word

• देह-इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-प्राण-अहङ्कार-वर्जितम्: devoid of body, senses, mind, intellect, vital breath, and ego
• देह-इन्द्रिय-मनस्-बुद्धि-प्राण-अहङ्कार-वर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of brahma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘देहादिभिः वर्जितम्’ (devoid of body etc.)

• जाग्रत्: waking (state)
• जाग्रत्: Karma (कर्म/Object within ‘mukta’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाग्रत् (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; अवस्था-नाम (state-name)

• सप्न: dream (state)
• सप्न: Karma (कर्म/Object within ‘mukta’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; अवस्था-नाम

• सुषुप्ति-आदि-मुक्तम्: free from deep sleep etc. (i.e., from the states)
• सुषुप्ति-आदि-मुक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of brahma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुषुप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + √मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; ‘सुषुप्त्यादि’ (deep sleep etc.) + ‘मुक्त’ = तन्मुक्त (freed from that)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा

• तुरीयकम्: the fourth (turiya)
• तुरीयकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of brahma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरीयक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा; विशेषण (the ‘fourth’ state-related epithet)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)

Vidya Category

Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Neti-neti contemplation: disidentify from body–mind–prāṇa–ahaṅkāra and from the three avasthās (waking/dream/deep sleep) to intuit Turīya.","sutra_style":true}

Encyclopedic Reference

Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Turīya Brahman—Beyond body-mind and the three states","lookup_keywords":["turīya","jāgrat-svapna-suṣupti","deha-indriya-manas-buddhi","prāṇa","ahaṅkāra"],"quick_summary":"Defines Brahman as Turīya, free from the constituents of embodied experience and transcending waking, dream, and deep sleep. Serves as a checklist for systematic disidentification in meditation."}

Kavya & Alamkara Layer

Alamkara Type: Vyatireka (definition by exclusion)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Turīya is not a state among states but the ever-present Brahman, untouched by body, senses, mind, intellect, prāṇa, and ego.

Application: During observation of waking/dream/sleep cycles, recognize the constant awareness-principle as distinct from changing contents; cultivate steadiness in that recognition.

Khanda Section

Khanda Section: Vedanta / Moksha-shastra (Turiya-Brahma Lakshana)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: Shanta

Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fourfold diagram: three bands labeled waking, dream, deep sleep, with a luminous center/sky representing Turīya; a yogin stands beyond the bands.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic composition with three horizontal panels (jāgrat/svapna/suṣupti) in muted colors and a radiant white-gold field above as Turīya; yogin silhouette in calm posture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Oṃ symbol with heavy gold halo; below it three small vignettes of waking/dream/sleep; ornate frame, devotional abstraction.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional mandala with labels in Devanagari, soft pastel washes, yogin pointing inward, emphasis on clarity and pedagogy.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-yogin in a study with a painted folio showing a four-part schema; delicate clouds for dream, dark wash for sleep, bright courtyard for waking, and pure light for Turīya."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: देहेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिप्राणाहङ्कारवर्जितम् = देह+इन्द्रिय+मनस्+बुद्धि+प्राण+अहङ्कार+वर्जितम्; सुषुप्त्यादिमुक्तम् = सुषुप्ति+आदि+मुक्तम्.

Cross References

Related Themes: Agni Purana 377 (Samādhi and Brahman-lakṣaṇa verses); Agni Purana 378 (Brahma-jñāna chapter opening)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Turīya
• Ahaṅkāra
• Prāṇa
• Jāgrat
• Svapna
• Suṣupti

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts Vedāntic vidyā: the technical definition of Turīya-Brahman as that which transcends the psycho-physical apparatus (body, senses, mind, intellect, prāṇa, ego) and the three experiential states.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Alongside rituals, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves Upaniṣadic-style consciousness analysis—classifying waking/dream/deep sleep and pointing to Turīya—showing its scope as an encyclopedia of both practical and metaphysical knowledge.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By identifying the Self with Turīya rather than body-mind-ego and the three states, one weakens identification (ahaṅkāra), reduces bondage-producing karma, and orients practice toward liberation (mokṣa).