Agni Purana

मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ।। ३८१.

Unwavering devotion to me through exclusive yoga, delight in solitary places, and disinterest in crowds of people.

अध्यात्मज्ञाननिष्ठत्वन्तत्त्वज्ञानानुदर्शनं । ओतज्ज्ञानमिति प्रोक्तमज्ञानं यदतोऽन्यथा ।। ३८१.

Firmness in knowledge of the self, contemplation of the truth—this is called knowledge; whatever is contrary to this is ignorance.

ज्ञेयं यत्तत् प्रवक्ष्यामि यं ज्ञात्वाऽमृतमश्नुते । अनादि परमं ब्रह्म सत्त्वं नाम तदुच्यते ।। ३८१.

I will declare that which is to be known, knowing which one attains immortality: beginningless, supreme Brahman, which is called existence.

सर्वतः पाणिपादान्तं सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् । सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ।। ३८१.

With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, with ears everywhere in the world, it stands pervading all things.

सर्वेन्द्रियगुणाभासं सर्वेन्दियविवर्जितम् । असक्तं सर्वभृच्चैव निर्गुणं गुणभोक्तृ च ।। ३८१.

It appears as the qualities of all the senses, yet is devoid of all senses; unattached, supporting all, without attributes, yet the enjoyer of attributes.

अविभक्तञ्च भूतेषु विभक्तमिव च स्थितम् । भूतभर्तृ च विज्ञेयं ग्रसिष्णु प्रभविष्णु च ।। ३८१.

Undivided among beings, yet seeming divided; it is to be known as the sustainer of beings, the devourer, and the source of power.

ज्योतिषामपि तज्जयोतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते । ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य घिष्ठितं ।। ३८१.

That is the light of lights, said to be beyond darkness; it is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and attainable through knowledge, abiding in the heart of all.

ध्यानेनात्मनि पश्यन्ति केचिदात्मानमात्मना । अन्ये साङ्‌ख्येन योगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे ।। ३८१.

Some perceive the self within the self by meditation; others by Sankhya, others by yoga, and yet others by the yoga of action.

अन्ये त्वेवमजानन्तो श्रुत्वान्येभ्य उपासते । तेपि चाशु तरन्त्येव मृत्युं श्रुतिपरायणाः ।। ३८१.

Others, not knowing thus, worship after hearing from others; they too quickly cross over death, devoted to hearing.

सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च । प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतो ज्ञानमेव च ।। ३८१.

From sattva arises knowledge; from rajas, greed; from tamas, error and delusion, and also ignorance.

गुणा वर्तन्त इत्येव योऽवतिष्ठति नेङ्गते । मानावमानमित्रारितुल्यस्त्यागी स निर्गुणः ।। ३८१.

He who regards the qualities as acting and does not move, who is equal in honor and dishonor, friend and foe, who renounces, is without qualities.

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधः शाखमश्चत्थं प्राहुरव्ययं । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ।। ३८१.

They speak of the imperishable aśvattha tree, whose roots are above and branches below; its leaves are the Vedas. Whoever knows this, knows the Veda.

द्वौ भूतसर्गौ लोकेऽस्मिन् दैव आसुर एव च । अहिंसादिः क्षमा चैव दैवीसम्पत्तितो नृणां ।। ३८१.

In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the divine and the demonic. Nonviolence and forbearance arise from the divine wealth among people.

न शौचं नापि वाचारो ह्यासुरीसम्पदोद्भवः । नरकत्वात् क्रोधकोभकामस्तस्मात्त्रयं त्यजेत् ।। ३८१.

There is neither purity nor proper conduct arising from demonic wealth; because of hellishness, anger, greed, and desire, one should abandon these three.

दुःखशोकामयायान्नं तीक्ष्णरूक्षन्तु राजसं । अमेध्योच्छिष्टपूत्यन्नं तामसं नीरसादिकं ।। ३८१.

Food that brings suffering, sorrow, and disease, that is excessively bitter or harsh, is rājasic; impure, leftover, putrid food, lacking essence, is tāmasic.

यष्टव्यो विधिना यज्ञो निष्कामाय स सात्त्विकः । यज्ञः फलाय दम्भात्मी राजसस्तामसः क्रतुः ।। ३८१.

A sacrifice performed according to rule, without desire for reward, is sāttvic; a sacrifice done for fruit or out of hypocrisy is rājasic or tāmasic.

श्रद्धामन्त्रादिविध्युक्तं तपः शारीरमुच्यते । देवादिपूजाऽहिंसादि वाङ्‌मयं तप उच्यते ।। ३८१.

Austerity performed as prescribed, with faith and mantras, is called bodily austerity; worship of gods and others, nonviolence, and so on, is called verbal austerity.

अनुद्धेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं स्वाध्यायसज्जपः । मानसं चित्तसंशुद्धेर्मौनमात्मविनिग्रहः ।। ३८१.

Speech that does not cause agitation, that is truthful, recitation and study—these are mental austerity, as are silence and self-control for the purification of the mind.

सात्त्विकञ्च तपोऽकामं फ्लाद्यर्थन्तु राजसं । तामसं परपीड़ायै सात्त्विकं दानमुच्यते ।। ३८१.

Sāttvic austerity is without desire; rājasic is for the sake of reward; tāmasic is for harming others. Sāttvic is called the giving of gifts.

देशादौ चैव दातव्यमुपकाराय राजसं । अदेशादाववज्ञातं तामसं दानमीरितं ।। ३८१.

A gift given at the right place and time, for the sake of benefit, is rājasic; a gift given at the wrong place and time, with disrespect, is said to be tāmasic.

ओंतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः । यज्ञदानादिकं कर्म्म भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणं ।। ३८१.

"Om, Tat, Sat"—this threefold designation of Brahman is remembered; sacrifice, gift, and other acts bring enjoyment and liberation to people.

अनिष्टमिष्टं मिशञ्च त्रिविंधं कर्मणः फलं । भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्कचित् ।। ३८१.

Unpleasant, pleasant, and mixed—these threefold fruits of action arise for those who do not renounce, after death, but never for the renunciates.

तामसः कर्मसंयोगात् मोहात्क्लेशभयादिकात् । राजसः सात्त्विकोऽकामात् पञ्चैते कर्महेतवः ।। ३८१.

Tāmasic arises from association with wrong action, from delusion, from suffering, fear, and the like; rājasic, sāttvic, and desirelessness—these five are causes of action.

एकं ज्ञानं सात्त्विकं स्यात् पृथग्‌ ज्ञान्तु राजसं । अतत्त्वार्थन्तामसं स्यात् कर्माकामाय सात्त्विकं ।। ३८१.

Knowledge is sāttvic when it is one; knowledge is rājasic when it is manifold; knowledge that is contrary to reality is tāmasic. Action without desire is sāttvic.

कामाय राजसं कर्म मोहात् कर्म तु तामसं । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समः कर्त्ता सात्त्विको राजसोऽत्यपि ।। ३८१.

Action for desire is rājasic; action from delusion is tāmasic. The doer who is equal in success and failure is sāttvic, and also rājasic.

शठोऽलसस्तामसः स्यात् कार्य्यादिधीश्च सात्त्विकी । कार्य्यार्थं सा राजसी स्याद्विपरीता तु तामसी ।। ३८१.

The deceitful and lazy are tāmasic; those whose intellect is directed toward duty are sāttvic; when it is for the sake of action, it is rājasic; when it is contrary, it is tāmasic.

मनोधृतिः सात्त्विकी स्यात् प्रीतिकामेति राजसी । तामसी तु प्रशोकादौ सुखं सत्त्वात्तदन्तगं ।। ३८१.

Mental firmness is sāttvic; that which seeks pleasure is rājasic; but that which is from sorrow and the like is tāmasic. Happiness arises from sattva and ends there.

सुखं तद्राजसञ्चाग्रे अन्ते दुःखन्तु तामसं । अतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदन्ततं ।। ३८१.

That happiness which is rājasic comes first, but in the end is suffering, and tāmasic is suffering throughout. Thus is the activity of beings, by which all this is pervaded.

स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य विष्णुं सिद्धिञ्च विन्दति । कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा ।। ३८१.

By worshipping Him—Viṣṇu—with one's own action, one attains perfection; by action, mind, and speech, in all circumstances, always.