Agni Purana

चतुर्थी स्त्री सुरा ज्ञेया ययेदं मोहितं जगत् । माद्यति प्रमदां दृष्ट्वा सुरां पीत्वा तु माद्याति ।। ३७२.

The fourth is woman, known as liquor, by which this world is deluded. One becomes intoxicated upon seeing a woman, and intoxicated upon drinking liquor.

यस्माद्‌दृष्टमदा नारी तस्मात्तान्नावलोकयेत् । यद्वा तद्वाऽपरद्रव्यमपहृत्य बलान्नरः ।। ३७२.

Therefore, one should not gaze upon a woman who causes intoxication by sight. Or, having taken another's property by force, a man—

अवश्यं याति तिर्य्यक्त्वं जगध्वा चैवाहुतं हविः । कौपीनाच्छादनं वासः कन्था शीतनिवारिणीं ।। ३७२.

Inevitably attains animal birth, and the offering poured into the fire is also lost. A loincloth, a garment, a rag, or something to ward off cold—

पादुके चापि गृह्णीयात् कुर्य्यान्नान्यस्य संग्रहं । देहस्थितिनिमित्तस्य वस्त्रादेः स्यात्परिग्रहः ।। ३७२.

He may take sandals as well, but should not accept anything else. The acquisition of clothing and such is permitted only for bodily maintenance.

शरीरं धर्म्मसंयुक्तं रक्षणीयं प्रयत्नतः । शौचन्तु द्विविधं प्रोक्तं वाह्यमभ्यन्तरं तथा ।। ३७२.

The body, joined with righteousness, must be carefully protected. Purity is said to be twofold: external and internal.

मृज्जलाभ्यां स्मृतं वाह्यं भावशुद्धेरथान्तरं । उभयेन् शुचिर्यस्तु स शुचिर्नेतरः शुचिः ।। ३७२.

External purity is remembered as achieved by earth and water; internal, by purity of mind. He who is pure in both is pure; one who is not, is not pure.

यथा कथञ्चित्प्राप्त्या च सन्तोषस्तुष्टिरुच्यते । मनसश्येन्द्रियाणाञ्च ऐकाग्र्यं तप उच्यते ।। ३७२.

Contentment is called satisfaction when something is obtained by any means. Concentration of mind and senses is called austerity.

तज्जयः सर्वधर्म्मेभ्यः स धर्म्मः पर उच्यते । वाचिकं मन्त्रजप्यादि मानसं रागवर्ज्जनं ।। ३७२.

Mastery of that is superior to all duties; it is called the highest duty. Verbal austerity is recitation of mantras and the like; mental is the avoidance of passion.

शारीरं देवपूजादि सर्वदन्तु त्रिधा तपः । प्रणवाद्यास्ततो वेदाः प्रणवे पर्यवस्थिताः ।। ३७२.

Physical austerity is worship of the gods and so forth; thus, austerity is threefold. The Vedas arise from the syllable Om; they are established in Om.

वाङ्‌मयः प्रणवः सर्वं तस्मात्प्रणवमभ्यसेत् । अकारश्च तथोकारो मकारश्चार्द्धमात्रया ।। ३७२.

Om is entirely verbal; therefore, one should practice Om. The letter 'a', then 'u', and 'm', together with the half-measure—

तिस्रो मात्रास्त्रयो वेदाः लोका भूरादयो गुणाः । जाग्रत् स्वप्नः सुषुप्तिश्च ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः ।। ३७२.

Three measures, three Vedas, the worlds beginning with Bhū, and the qualities; waking, dreaming, and deep sleep; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara—

प्रद्युम्नः श्रीर्वासुदेवः सर्वमोङ्कारकः क्रमात् । अमात्रो नष्टमात्रश्च द्वैतस्यापगमः शिवः ।। ३७२.

Pradyumna, Śrī, Vāsudeva—all are sequentially associated with Om. The measureless, the vanished measure, is the dissolution of duality—Śiva.

ओङ्कारो विदितो येन स मुनिर्नेतरो मुनिः । चतुर्थी मात्रा गान्धारी प्रयुक्ता मूर्ध्निलक्ष्यते ।। ३७२.

He who knows Om is a sage; none other is a sage. The fourth measure, Gāndhārī, when applied, is perceived at the crown of the head.

तत्तुरीयं परं ब्रह्म ज्योतिर्दीपो घटे यथा । तथा हृत्पद्मनिलयं ध्यायेन्नित्यं जपेन्नरः ।। ३७२.

That fourth, the transcendent Brahman, is like a lamp's light in a pot. Thus, one should always meditate and recite upon the lotus of the heart.

प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत् ।। ३७२.

Om is the bow, the self is the arrow, and Brahman is said to be the target. One must strike it unerringly; like an arrow, one should become wholly that.

एतदेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतदेकाक्षरं परं । एतदेकाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा यो यदिच्छति तस्य तत् ।। ३७२.

This single syllable is Brahman; this single syllable is supreme. Knowing this single syllable, whatever one desires, that is attained.

छन्दोऽस्य देवी गायत्री अन्तर्य्यामी ऋषिः स्मृतः । देवता परमात्मास्य नियोगो भुक्तिमुक्तये ।। ३७२.

Its meter is the divine Gāyatrī; the seer is remembered as the indwelling sage. The deity is the Supreme Self; its purpose is for enjoyment and liberation.

भूरगन्यात्मने हृदयं भुवः प्राजापत्यात्मने । शिरः स्वः सूर्य्यात्मने च शिखा कवचमुच्यते ।। ३७२.

For the soul associated with Bhū, the heart; for the soul associated with Bhuvaḥ, the head; for the soul associated with Svaḥ, the crest; these are called the armor.

ओंभूर्भुवः स्वः कवचं सत्यात्मने ततोऽस्त्रकं । विन्यस्य पूजयेद्विष्णुं जपेद्वै भुक्तिमुक्तये ।। ३७२.

Om Bhūḥ Bhuvaḥ Svaḥ is the armor for the soul of truth; then the missile. Having placed these, one should worship Viṣṇu and recite for enjoyment and liberation.

जुहुयाच्च तिलाज्यादि सर्वं सम्पद्यते नरे । यस्तु द्वादशसाहस्रं जपमन्वहमाचरेत् ।। ३७२.

One should offer sesame, clarified butter, and other things; everything is accomplished for the person. Whoever performs the recitation twelve thousand times daily,

तस्य द्वादशभिर्मासैः परं ब्रह्मा प्रकाशते । अणिमादि कोटिजप्याल्लक्षात्सारस्वतादिकं ।। ३७२.

For him, in twelve months, the supreme Brahman is revealed. From millions of recitations of the powers beginning with aṇimā, the essence of Sarasvatī and others is attained.

वैदिकस्तान्त्रिको मिश्रो विष्णोर्वै त्रिविधो मखः । त्रयाणामीप्सितेनैकविधिना हरिमर्च्चयेत् ।। ३७२.

Vedic, Tantric, and mixed—these are the three types of Viṣṇu's sacrifice. With the desired method among the three, one should worship Hari.

प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भमौ नमस्कारेण योऽर्चयेत् । स याङ्गतिमवाप्नोति न तां क्रतुशतैरपि ।। ३७२.

Whoever worships, bowing with prostration on the ground, with reverence, attains that state which is not reached even by hundreds of rituals.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिर्यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ।। ३७२.

For whom there is supreme devotion to the deity, and as to the deity, so to the teacher, for him these meanings spoken here are revealed, O great soul.

अग्निरुवाच आसनं कमलाद्युक्तं तद्‌बद्‌ध्वा चिन्तयेत्परं । शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनामात्मनः ।। ३७३.

Agni said: Having arranged a seat furnished with lotus and other things, one should contemplate the supreme. In a pure place, establish a steady seat for oneself.

नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चेलाजिनकुशोत्तरं । तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः ।। ३७३.

Not too high, not too low, covered with cloth, skin, and kusa grass; there, making the mind one-pointed, controlling the actions of mind and senses.

उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये । समकायशिरग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः ।। ३७३.

Seated on the seat, one should practice yoga for purification of the self, holding the body, head, and neck upright, unmoving and steady.

सम्प्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वन्दिशश्चानवलोकयन् । पार्ष्णिभ्यां वृषणौ रक्षंस्तथा प्रजननं पुनः ।। ३७३.

Gazing at the tip of the nose, not looking in any direction, protecting the testicles with the heels, and likewise the generative organ.

उरुभ्यामुपरिस्थाप्य बाहू तिर्य्यक् प्रयत्नतः । दक्षिणं करपृष्ठञ्च न्यसेद्वामतलोपरि ।। ३७३.

Placing the arms across the thighs with effort, the back of the right hand on the left palm.