Agni Purana

स्वाध्यायेश्वरपूजा च आसनं पद्मकादिकं । प्राणायामो वायुजयः प्रत्याहारः स्वनिग्रहः ।। ३८२.

Study of the self, worship of the Lord, posture such as the lotus seat, breath control as mastery of the vital winds, withdrawal as self-restraint—

शुभे ह्येकत्र विषये चेतसो यत् प्रधारणं । निश्चलत्वात्तु धीमद्भिर्धारणा द्विज कथ्यते ।। ३८२.

The steady holding of the mind on a single auspicious object is called concentration by the wise, O twice-born, because of its unshakable nature.

पौनःपुन्येन तत्रैव विषयेष्वेव धारणा । ध्यानं स्मृतं समाधिस्तु अहं ब्रह्मात्मसंस्थितिः ।। ३८२.

Repeated concentration on the same objects is called meditation; absorption is said to be the state of 'I am Brahman, the self established in Brahman.'

घटध्वंसाद्यथाकाशमभिन्नं नभसा भवेत् । मुक्तो जीवो ब्रह्मणैवं सद्‌ब्रह्म ब्रह्म वै भवेत् ।। ३८२.

Just as, when a pot is broken, the space within becomes one with the sky, so the liberated soul becomes one with Brahman; thus, Brahman alone truly exists.

आत्मानं मन्यते ब्रह्म जीवो ज्ञानेन नान्यथा । जीवो ह्यज्ञानतत्कार्य्यमुक्तः स्यादजरामरः ।। ३८२.

The soul knows itself as Brahman by knowledge, not otherwise; freed from ignorance and its effects, the soul becomes undecaying and immortal.

अग्निरुवाच वशिष्ठ यमगीतोक्ता पठतां भुक्तिमुक्तिदा । आत्यन्तिको लयः प्रोक्तो वेदान्तब्रह्मधीमयः ।। ३८२.

Agni said: The recitation of the hymn sung by Vasiṣṭha grants both worldly enjoyment and liberation; the ultimate dissolution is declared to be of the nature of Vedānta and Brahman-meditation.

अग्निरुवाच आग्नेयं ब्रह्मरूपन्ते पुराणं कथितं मया । सप्रपञ्चं निष्प्रपञ्चं विद्याद्वयमयं महत् ।। ३८३.

Agni said: I have narrated the Agneya Purāṇa, which is of the form of Brahman; it is both with and without elaboration, and is composed of knowledge in duality and greatness.

ऋग्यजुःसामाश्चर्वाख्या विद्या विष्णुर्जगज्जनिः । छन्दः शिक्षा व्याकरणं निधण्टुज्योतिराख्यकाः ।। ३८३.

The knowledges named Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Carvāka, Viṣṇu as the origin of the world, meter, phonetics, grammar, and those called nidhaṇṭu and jyotiṣa—

निरुक्तधर्मशास्त्रादि मीमांसान्यायविस्तराः । आयुर्वेदपुराणाख्या धनुर्गन्धर्वविस्तराः ।। ३८३.

Etymology, dharma-śāstra and others, the expansions of Mīmāṃsā and Nyāya, Ayurveda, Purāṇa, archery, and the arts of the Gandharvas—

विद्या सैवार्थसास्त्राख्या वेदान्ताऽन्या हरिर्महान् । इत्येषा चापरा विद्या परविद्याऽक्षरं ।। ३८३.

That knowledge is also called artha-śāstra; Vedānta and others, and Hari the great. This is the lower knowledge; the higher knowledge is the imperishable.

यस्य भावोऽखिलं विष्णुस्तस्य नो बाधते कलिः । अनिष्ट्वा तु महायज्ञानकृत्वापि पितृस्वधां ।। ३८३.

For one whose entire disposition is Viṣṇu, Kali does not afflict; even without performing great sacrifices or offering to ancestors—

कृष्णमभ्यर्च्चयन्भक्त्या नैनसो भाजनं भवेत् । सर्वकारणमत्यन्तं विष्णुं ध्यायन्न सीदति ।। ३८३.

Worshipping Kṛṣṇa with devotion, one does not become a vessel for sin; meditating on Viṣṇu, the ultimate cause, one does not fall.

अन्यतन्त्रादिदोषोत्थो विषयाकृष्टमानसः । कृत्वापि पापं गोविन्दं ध्यायन्पापैः प्रमुच्यते ।। ३८३.

Even if the mind is drawn to objects due to faults arising from other doctrines, one who commits sin but meditates on Govinda is freed from sins.

तद्ध्यानं यत्र गोविन्दः सा कथा यत्र केशवः । तत् कर्म यत्तदर्थीयं किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः ।। ३८३.

Where that meditation is, there is Govinda; where that narration is, there is Keśava; that action which is for that purpose—what need is there for many words?

न तत् पिता पु पुत्राय न शिष्याय गुरुर्द्विज । परमार्थं परं ब्रूयाद्यदेतत्ते मयोदितं ।। ३८३.

A father does not tell his son, nor a teacher his student, nor a twice-born to another, the supreme truth, the highest, which I have declared to you.

संसारे भ्रमता लभ्यं पुत्रदारधनं वसु । सुहृदश्च तथैवान्ये नोपदेशो द्विजेदृशः ।। ३८३.

In wandering through saṃsāra, one may obtain sons, wives, wealth, and possessions, as well as friends and others; but such instruction is not given to a twice-born.

किं पुत्रदारैमित्रैर्वा किं मित्रक्षेत्रवान्धवैः । उपदेशः परो वन्धुरीदृशो यो विमुक्तये ।। ३८३.

What use are sons, wives, or friends? What use are friends, fields, or relatives? The supreme instruction is the true kin, which leads to liberation.

द्विविधो भूतमार्गोयं दैव आसुर एव च । विष्णुभक्तिपरो दैवो विपरीतस्तथासुरः ।। ३८३.

This path of beings is twofold: divine and demonic. The one devoted to Viṣṇu is divine; the contrary is demonic.

एतत् पवित्रमारोग्यं धन्यं दुःस्वप्ननाशनं । सुखप्रीतिकरं नॄणां मोक्षकृद् यत्तवेरितं ।। ३८३.

This, which has been declared, is pure, health-giving, auspicious, dispeller of evil dreams, giver of happiness and delight to people, and bestower of liberation.

येषां गृहेषु लिखितमाग्नेयं हि पुराणकं । पुस्तकं स्थास्यति सदा तत्र नेशुरुपद्रवाः ।। ३८३.

In whose homes the Agneya Purāṇa is written and the book is always kept, there calamities do not dwell.

किं तीर्यैर्गोप्रदानैर्वा किं यज्ञैः किमुपोषितैः । आग्नेयं ये हि श्रृण्वन्ति अहन्यहनि मानवाः ।। ३८३.

What is the use of crossing rivers, giving cows, sacrifices, or fasts? Those people who listen to the Agneya daily—

यो ददाति तिलप्रस्थं सुवर्णस्य च माषकं । श्रृणेति श्लोकमेकञ्च आग्नेयस्य तदाप्नुयात् ।। ३८३.

Whoever gives a prastha of sesame and a māṣaka of gold, and listens to even one verse of the Agneya, attains its fruit.

अध्यायपठनञ्चास्य गोप्रदानाद् विशिष्यते । अहोरात्रकृतं पापं श्रोतुमिच्छोः प्रणश्यति ।। ३८३.

The reading of its chapters surpasses the gift of cows; the sin committed in a day and night is destroyed for one who desires to listen.

कपिलानां शते दत्ते यद् भवेज्ज्येष्ठपुष्करे । तदाग्नेयं पुराणं हि पठित्वा फलमाप्नुयात् ।। ३८३.

By giving a hundred tawny cows at the foremost sacred lake, one attains the fruit of reciting the Agni Purāṇa.

प्रवृत्तञ्च निवृत्तञ्च धर्मं विद्याद्वयात्मकं । आग्नेयस्य पुराणस्य शास्त्रस्यास्य समं न हि ।। ३८३.

One should know that dharma consists of both action and renunciation; there is truly nothing equal to this scripture, the Agni Purāṇa.

पठन्नाग्नेयकं नित्यं श्रृण्वन् वापि पुराणकं । भक्तो वशिष्ठ मनुजः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ।। ३८३.

A devoted person, O Vasiṣṭha, who daily recites or listens to the Agni Purāṇa is freed from all sins.

नोपसर्गा न चानर्था न चौरारिभयं गृहे । तस्मिन् स्याद् यत्र चाग्नेयपुराणस्य हि पुस्तकं ।। ३८३.

There are no calamities, misfortunes, or fears from thieves or enemies in the house where the book of the Agni Purāṇa is present.

न गर्भहारिणी भीतिर्न च बालग्रहा गृहे । यत्राग्नेयं पुराणं स्यान्न पिशाचादिकं भयं ।। ३८३.

There is no fear of miscarriage, no harm to children, nor any terror from spirits and the like, in the house where the Agni Purāṇa is found.

श्रृण्वन् विप्रो वेदवित् स्यात् क्षत्रियः पृथिवीपतिः । ऋद्धिं प्राप्नोति वैश्यश्च शूद्रश्चारोग्यमृच्छति ।। ३८३.

By listening to it, a brāhmaṇa becomes a knower of the Veda, a kṣatriya becomes a ruler of the earth, a vaiśya attains prosperity, and a śūdra gains health.