Agni Purana

शरीरं रथमित्याहुरिन्द्रियाण्यस्य वाजिनः । मनश्च सारथिः प्रोक्तः प्राणायामः कशः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

They say the body is a chariot, its senses are the horses; the mind is called the charioteer, and breath-control is remembered as the whip.

ज्ञानवैराग्यरश्मिभ्यां सायया विधृतं मनः । शनैर्निश्चलतामेति प्राणायामैकसंहितम् ।। ३७३.

The mind, held by the rays of knowledge and detachment, gradually becomes motionless, united with breath-control.

जलबिन्दुं [https://vedastudy.yolasite.com/kusha1.php कुशाग्रेण] मासे मासे पिबेत्तु यः । संवत्सरशतं साग्रं प्राणायामश्च तत्समः ।। ३७३.

He who drinks a drop of water with a blade of grass each month lives for a hundred years and more; breath-control is equal to that.

इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि प्रविश्य विषयोदधौ । आहृत्य यो निगृह्णाति प्रत्याहारः स उच्यते ।। ३७३.

When the senses, absorbed in the ocean of objects, are withdrawn and restrained, that is called 'pratyahara'.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं मज्जमानं यथाम्भसि । भोगनद्यतिवेगेन ज्ञानवृक्षं समाश्रयेत् ।। ३७३.

One should lift oneself by oneself, as from water when sinking; swept by the current of enjoyment, one should take refuge in the tree of knowledge.

अग्निरुवाच ध्यै चिन्तायां स्मृतो धातुर्विष्णुचिन्ता मुहुर्मुहुः । अनाक्षिप्तेन मनसा ध्यानमित्यभिधीयते ।। ३७४.

Agni said: Meditation is remembered as contemplation; repeated contemplation of Vishnu, with an undistracted mind, is called meditation.

आत्मनः समनस्कस्य मुक्ताशेषोपधस्य च । ब्रह्मचिन्तासमा शक्तिर्ध्यानं नाम तदुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is steady and free from all obstacles, the power equal to contemplation of Brahman is called meditation.

ध्येयालम्बनसंस्थस्य सदृशप्रत्ययस्य च । प्रत्ययान्तरनिर्मुक्तः प्रत्ययो ध्यानमुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one established in the object of meditation, with a corresponding thought, when freed from other thoughts, that thought is called meditation.

ध्येयावस्थितचित्तस्य प्रदेशे यत्र कुत्रचित् । ध्यानमेतत्समुद्दिष्टं प्रत्ययस्यैकभावना ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is fixed on the object of meditation, wherever in any place, meditation is defined as the single contemplation of that thought.

एवं ध्यानसमायुक्तः स्वदेहं यः परित्यजत् । कुलं स्वजनमित्राणि समुद्‌धृत्य हरिर्भवेत् ।। ३७४.

Thus, one who, endowed with meditation, abandons his own body, having uplifted his family, relatives, and friends, becomes Hari.

एवं मुहूर्त्तमर्धं वा ध्यायेद् यः श्रद्ध्या हरिं । सोपि यां गतिमाप्नोति न तां सर्वैर्महामखैः ।। ३७४.

Thus, whoever meditates on Hari for even half a moment with faith attains a state that cannot be reached by all the great sacrifices.

ध्याता ध्यानं तथा ध्येयं यच्च ध्यानप्रयोजनं । एतच्चतुष्टयं ज्ञात्वा योगं युञ्जीत तत्त्ववित् ।। ३७४.

Having understood the fourfold: the meditator, meditation, the object of meditation, and the purpose of meditation, one who knows the truth should practice yoga.

योगाभ्यासाद्‌भवेन्मुक्तिरैश्वर्य्यञ्चाष्टधा महत् । ज्ञानवैराग्यसम्पन्नः श्रद्दधानः क्षमान्वितः ।। ३७४.

Through the practice of yoga, liberation arises, and also the eightfold great powers; endowed with knowledge and detachment, with faith and patience.

विष्णुभक्तः सदोत्साही ध्यातेत्थं पुरुषः स्मृतः । मूर्तामूर्त्तं परम्ब्रह्म हरेर्ध्यानं हि चिन्तनम् ।। ३७४.

A devotee of Vishnu, always enthusiastic, is remembered as one who meditates thus; meditation on Hari is contemplation of the embodied and unembodied Supreme Brahman.

सकलो निष्कलो ज्ञेयः सर्वज्ञः परमो हरिः । अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्य्यं मुक्तिर्ध्यानप्रयोजनम् ।। ३७४.

Hari, the Supreme, is to be known as both with form and without form, all-knowing; the purpose of meditation is liberation and the powers beginning with aṇimā.

फलेन योजको विष्णुरतो ध्यायेत् परेश्वरं । गच्छंस्तिष्ठन् स्वपन् जाग्रदुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि ।। ३७४.

Vishnu is the one who connects with the fruit; therefore, one should meditate on the Supreme Lord, whether walking, standing, sleeping, awake, with eyes open or closed.

शुचिर्वाप्यशुचिर्वापि ध्यायेत् सततमीश्वरम् । स्वदेहायतनस्यान्ते मनसि स्थाप्य केशवम् ।। ३७४.

Whether pure or impure, one should always meditate on the Lord, placing Keshava within the mind at the end of one's own bodily abode.

हृत्पद्मपीठिकामध्ये ध्यानयोगेन पूजयेत् । ध्यानयज्ञः परः शुद्धः सर्वदोषक्विर्ज्जितः ।। ३७४.

In the center of the lotus-seat of the heart, one should worship through the yoga of meditation; the meditation-sacrifice is supreme, pure, and free from all faults.

तेनेष्ट्वा मुक्तिमाप्नोति वाह्यशुद्धैश्च नाध्वरैः । हिंसादोषविमुक्तित्वाद्विशुद्धिश्चित्तसाधनः ।। ३७४.

By offering this, one attains liberation, not through external pure sacrifices; because it is free from the fault of violence, purification is accomplished by the discipline of the mind.

ध्यानयज्ञः परस्तस्मादपवर्गफलप्रदः । तस्मादशुद्धं सन्त्यज्य ह्यनित्यं वाह्यसाधनं ।। ३७४.

Therefore, the meditation-sacrifice is supreme and grants the fruit of final liberation; thus, abandoning impure and impermanent external means.

यज्ञाद्यं कर्म्म सन्त्यज्य योगमत्यर्थमभ्यसेत् । विकारमुक्तमव्यक्तं भोग्यभोगसमन्वितं ।। ३७४.

Abandoning ritual actions such as sacrifice, one should practice yoga intensely; free from change, unmanifest, accompanied by both enjoyment and the objects of enjoyment.

चिन्तयेद्धृदये पूर्वं क्रमादादौ गुणत्रयं । तमः प्रच्छाद्य रजसा सत्त्वेन च्छादयेद्रजः ।। ३७४.

First, one should contemplate in the heart, step by step, the three qualities; covering darkness with passion, and then covering passion with goodness.

ध्यायेत्त्रिमण्डलं पूर्वं कृष्णां रक्तं सितं क्रमात् । सत्त्वोपाधिगुणातीतः पुरुषः पञ्चविंशकः ।। ३७४.

One should first meditate on the three circles: black, red, and white in order; the twenty-fifth person, transcending the qualities, with the attribute of goodness.

ध्येयमेतदशुद्धञ्च त्यक्त्वा शुद्धं विचिन्तयेत् । ऐश्वर्य्यं पङ्कजं दिव्यं पुरुषोपरि संस्थितं ।। ३७४.

Having abandoned this impure object of meditation, one should contemplate the pure; the divine lotus of power, situated above the person.

द्वादशाङ्गुलविस्तीर्णं शुद्धं विकशितं सितम् । नालमष्टङ्गुलं तस्य नाभिकन्दसमुद्भ्वं ।। ३७४.

Pure, expanded, and white, twelve fingers in breadth; its stalk is eight fingers, arising from the root of the navel.

पद्मपत्राष्टकं ज्ञेयमणिमादिगुणाष्टकम् । कर्णिकाकेशरं नालं ज्ञानवैराग्यभुत्तमम् ।। ३७४.

The eight lotus petals are to be known, and the eight powers beginning with aṇimā; the central part, filaments, and stalk are the highest knowledge and detachment.

विष्णुधर्म्मश्च तत्कन्दमिति पद्मं विचिन्तयेत् । तद्धर्मज्ञानवैराग्यं शिवैश्वर्य्यमयं परं ।। ३७४.

The root of that is Vishnu's dharma; thus, one should contemplate the lotus; its dharma is knowledge and detachment, the supreme composed of Shiva's powers.

ज्ञात्वा पद्मासनं सर्वं सर्वदुःखान्तमाप्नुयात् । तत्पद्मकर्णिकामध्ये शुद्धदीपशिखाकृति ।। ३७४.

Having understood the entire lotus-seat, one attains the end of all suffering; in the center of that lotus, is a pure flame-shaped form.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रममलं ध्यायेदोङ्कारमीश्वरं । कदम्वगोलकाकारं तारं रूपमिव स्थितं ।। ३७४.

One should meditate on the immaculate Omkara, the Lord, the size of a thumb; shaped like a kadamba sphere, standing like the form of a tone.