Agni Purana — Chapter 336
AgP 336.1
:ए इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे शिक्षानिरूपणं नाम पञ्चत्रिंशदधिकत्रिशततमो ऽध्यायः :न् १ खटवसा इति ख॥ :प् १९८ छप्तेर् {३३६} :श् अथ षट्त्रिंशदधिकत्रिशततमो ऽध्यायः काव्यादिलक्षणं अग्निर् उवाच काव्यस्य नाटकादेश् च अलङ्कारान् वदाम्य् अथ ध्वनिर्वर्णाः पदं वाक्यमित्येतद्वाङ्मयं मतं
:e ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe śikṣānirūpaṇaṃ nāma pañcatriṃśadadhikatriśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ :n 1 khaṭavasā iti kha.. :p 198 chapter {336} :ś atha ṣaṭtriṃśadadhikatriśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ kāvyādilakṣaṇaṃ agnir uvāca kāvyasya nāṭakādeś ca alaṅkārān vadāmy atha dhvanirvarṇāḥ padaṃ vākyamityetadvāṅmayaṃ mataṃ
Thus in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa the three hundred thirty-fifth chapter, called The Exposition of Phonetics. Now the three hundred thirty-sixth chapter: The Definition of Poetry and the Rest. Agni said: Now I shall speak of the figures of poetry and of drama and the rest. Sound, letters, word, sentence — this is held to be all that consists of speech.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.2
शास्त्रेतिहासवाक्यानां त्रयं यत्र समाप्यते शास्त्रे शब्दप्रधानत्वमितिहासेषु निष्ठता
śāstretihāsavākyānāṃ trayaṃ yatra samāpyate śāstre śabdapradhānatvamitihāseṣu niṣṭhatā
(There is) a triad of the statements of scientific treatise, of narrative history, (and of poetry), in which the three come to completion: in the treatise the word is primary, in the histories the settled (import).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.3
अभिधायाः प्रधानत्वात् काव्यं ताभ्यां विभिद्यते नरत्वं दुर्लभं लोके विद्या तत्र च दुर्लभा
abhidhāyāḥ pradhānatvāt kāvyaṃ tābhyāṃ vibhidyate naratvaṃ durlabhaṃ loke vidyā tatra ca durlabhā
Because of the primacy of denotation, poetry is distinguished from those two. Human birth is hard to obtain in the world, and learning is hard to obtain there.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.4
कवित्वं दुर्लभं तत्र शक्तिस्तत्र च दुर्लभा व्युत्पातिर्दुर्लभा तत्र विवेकस्तत्र दुर्लभः
kavitvaṃ durlabhaṃ tatra śaktistatra ca durlabhā vyutpātirdurlabhā tatra vivekastatra durlabhaḥ
Poetic ability is hard to obtain there, and creative power is hard to obtain there; learning-derived skill is hard to obtain there, and discrimination is hard to obtain there.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.5
सर्वं शास्त्रमविद्वद्भिर्मृग्यमाणन्न सिध्यति आदिवर्णा द्वितीयाश् च महाप्राणस्तुरीयकः
sarvaṃ śāstramavidvadbhirmṛgyamāṇanna sidhyati ādivarṇā dvitīyāś ca mahāprāṇasturīyakaḥ
Every science, when sought after by the unlearned, does not succeed. The first letters and the second, and the fourth is the greatly aspirated one.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.6
वर्गेषु वर्णवृन्दं स्यात् पदं सुप्तिड्प्रभेदतः सङ्क्षेपाद्वाक्यमिष्टार्थव्यवछिन्ना पदाबली
vargeṣu varṇavṛndaṃ syāt padaṃ suptiḍprabhedataḥ saṅkṣepādvākyamiṣṭārthavyavachinnā padābalī
In the series (of consonants) there would be a collection of letters; a word (arises) through the distinction of nominal and verbal endings; in brief, a sentence is a series of words marked off by the intended meaning.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.7
काव्यं स्फुटदलङ्कारं गुणवद्दोषवर्जितम् योनिर्वेदश् च लोकश् च सिद्धमन्नादयोनिजं
kāvyaṃ sphuṭadalaṅkāraṃ guṇavaddoṣavarjitam yonirvedaś ca lokaś ca siddhamannādayonijaṃ
Poetry is that which has evident figures, possesses excellences, and is free of faults. Its source is the Veda and the world; what is established is born of a source such as food(?).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.8
देवादीनाम् संस्कृतं स्यात् प्राकृतं त्रिविधं नृणां गद्यं पद्यञ्च मिश्रञ्च काव्यादि त्रिविधं स्मृतम्
devādīnām saṃskṛtaṃ syāt prākṛtaṃ trividhaṃ nṛṇāṃ gadyaṃ padyañca miśrañca kāvyādi trividhaṃ smṛtam
Sanskrit belongs to the gods and the rest, while Prakrit, of threefold kind, belongs to men; and poetry and the like is held to be of three sorts: prose, verse, and mixed.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.9
अपदः पदसन्तानो गद्यन्तदपि गद्यते चूर्णकोत्कलिकागन्धिवृत्तभेदात् त्रिरूपकम्
apadaḥ padasantāno gadyantadapi gadyate cūrṇakotkalikāgandhivṛttabhedāt trirūpakam
A sequence of words without metrical feet is prose; and that too is declared to be of three forms, by the division into cūrṇaka, utkalikā, and gandhi-vṛtta.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.10
अल्पाल्पविग्रहं नातिमृदुसन्दर्भनिर्भरं :प् १९९ चूर्णकं नाम्तो दीर्घसमासात् कलिका भवेत्
alpālpavigrahaṃ nātimṛdusandarbhanirbharaṃ :p 199 cūrṇakaṃ nāmto dīrghasamāsāt kalikā bhavet
That which has very slight compounding and is filled with a composition not too soft is called cūrṇaka; from long compounds arises the kalikā (utkalikā).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.11
भवेन्मध्यमसन्दर्भन्नातिकुत्सितविग्रहम् वृत्तच्छायाहरं वृत्तं गन्धिनैतत् किलोत्कटम्
bhavenmadhyamasandarbhannātikutsitavigraham vṛttacchāyāharaṃ vṛttaṃ gandhinaitat kilotkaṭam
That which has a middling composition and compounding that is not too objectionable, and which carries the shadow of metre, is vṛtta(-gandhi); this, indeed, is (called) lofty.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.12
आख्यायिका कथा खण्डकथा परिकथा तथा कथानिकेति मन्यन्ते गद्यकाव्यञ्च पञ्चधा
ākhyāyikā kathā khaṇḍakathā parikathā tathā kathāniketi manyante gadyakāvyañca pañcadhā
Ākhyāyikā, kathā, khaṇḍakathā, parikathā, and kathānikā — thus they hold prose poetry to be fivefold.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.13
कर्तृवंशप्रशंसा स्याद्यत्र गद्येन विस्तरात् कन्याहरणसंग्रामविप्रलम्भविपत्तयः
kartṛvaṃśapraśaṃsā syādyatra gadyena vistarāt kanyāharaṇasaṃgrāmavipralambhavipattayaḥ
That in which there is praise of the author's lineage at length in prose, and abductions of maidens, battles, separations, and calamities —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.14
भवन्ति यत्र दीप्ताश् च रीतिवृत्तिप्रवृत्तयः उच्छासैश् च परिच्छेदो यत्र या चूर्णकोत्तरा
bhavanti yatra dīptāś ca rītivṛttipravṛttayaḥ ucchāsaiś ca paricchedo yatra yā cūrṇakottarā
— in which these occur vividly, along with the courses of style (rīti), manner (vṛtti), and regional usage (pravṛtti); in which the division is by ucchvāsas, and which has cūrṇaka predominating,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.15
वक्त्रं वापरवक्त्रं वा यत्र साख्यायिका स्मृता श्लोकैः स्ववंशं संक्षेपात् कविर्यत्र प्रशंसति
vaktraṃ vāparavaktraṃ vā yatra sākhyāyikā smṛtā ślokaiḥ svavaṃśaṃ saṃkṣepāt kaviryatra praśaṃsati
and in which there is the vaktra or the aparavaktra metre — that is held to be an ākhyāyikā. Where the poet praises his own lineage briefly in ślokas,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.16
सुख्यस्यार्थावताराय भवेद्यत्र कथान्तरम् परिच्छेदो न यत्र स्याद्भवेद्वालम्भकैः क्वचित्
sukhyasyārthāvatārāya bhavedyatra kathāntaram paricchedo na yatra syādbhavedvālambhakaiḥ kvacit
where there is a subsidiary story for the introduction of the friend's theme, and where there is no (formal) division, or sometimes it is made by lambhakas —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.17
सा कथा नाम तद्गर्भे निबध्नीयाच्चतुष्पदीं भवेत् खण्डकथा यासौ यासौ परिकथा तयोः
sā kathā nāma tadgarbhe nibadhnīyāccatuṣpadīṃ bhavet khaṇḍakathā yāsau yāsau parikathā tayoḥ
that is called kathā. If within it one should compose a quatrain, it becomes khaṇḍakathā; and of the two, whichever (has such a feature) is parikathā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.18
अमात्यं सार्थकं वापि द्विजं वा नायकं विदुः स्यात्तयोः करुणं विद्धि विप्रलम्भश् चतुर्विधः
amātyaṃ sārthakaṃ vāpi dvijaṃ vā nāyakaṃ viduḥ syāttayoḥ karuṇaṃ viddhi vipralambhaś caturvidhaḥ
They know the hero to be a minister, or a caravan-leader, or a brahmin; know that in those two the sentiment is the pathetic, and that separation is of four kinds.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.19
समाप्यते तयोर् नाद्या सा कथामनुधावति कथाख्यायिकयोर्मिश्रभावात् परिकथा स्मृता
samāpyate tayor nādyā sā kathāmanudhāvati kathākhyāyikayormiśrabhāvāt parikathā smṛtā
Of the two, the first is not brought to a conclusion; it runs after the (main) story. From the mixed character of kathā and ākhyāyikā, parikathā is taught.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.20
भयानकं सुखपरं गर्भे च करुणो रसः अद्भुतो ऽन्ते सुकॢप्तार्थो नोदात्ता सा कथानिका
bhayānakaṃ sukhaparaṃ garbhe ca karuṇo rasaḥ adbhuto 'nte sukḷptārtho nodāttā sā kathānikā
The fearsome, with happiness predominant, and in the middle the pathetic sentiment, the marvellous at the end, with well-arranged matter, and not lofty — that is the kathānikā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.21
पद्यं चतुष्पदी तच्च वृत्तं जातिरितित्रिधा वृत्तमक्षरसंख्येयमुक्थं तत् कृतिशेषजम्
padyaṃ catuṣpadī tacca vṛttaṃ jātirititridhā vṛttamakṣarasaṃkhyeyamukthaṃ tat kṛtiśeṣajam
Verse is a quatrain, and that is of three kinds: vṛtta and jāti (and mixed). Vṛtta is what is to be reckoned by syllables; it is said to arise from kṛti and the remaining (metrical classes).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.22
:प् २०० मात्राभिर्गणना सा जातिरिति काश्यपः(१) सममर्धसमं वृत्तं विषमं पैङ्गलं त्रिधा
:p 200 mātrābhirgaṇanā sā jātiriti kāśyapaḥ(1) samamardhasamaṃ vṛttaṃ viṣamaṃ paiṅgalaṃ tridhā
Reckoning by mātrās — that is jāti, says Kāśyapa. Vṛtta is of three kinds according to Paiṅgala: even, half-even, and uneven.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.23
सा विद्या नौस्तितीषूर्णां गभीरं काव्यसागरं महाकाव्यं कलापश् च पर्याबन्धो विशेषकम्
sā vidyā naustitīṣūrṇāṃ gabhīraṃ kāvyasāgaraṃ mahākāvyaṃ kalāpaś ca paryābandho viśeṣakam
That knowledge is a boat for those wishing to cross the deep ocean of poetry: mahākāvya, kalāpa, paryābandha, viśeṣaka,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.24
कुलकं मुक्तकं कोष इति पद्यकुटुम्बकम् सर्गबन्धो महाकाव्यमारब्धं संस्कृतेन यत्
kulakaṃ muktakaṃ koṣa iti padyakuṭumbakam sargabandho mahākāvyamārabdhaṃ saṃskṛtena yat
kulaka, muktaka, and koṣa — this is the household of verse. The sargabandha is the mahākāvya, that which is undertaken in Sanskrit.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.25
तादात्म्यमजहत्तत्र(२) तत्समं नाति दुष्यति इतिहासकथोद्भूतमितरद्वा सदाश्रयं
tādātmyamajahattatra(2) tatsamaṃ nāti duṣyati itihāsakathodbhūtamitaradvā sadāśrayaṃ
Not abandoning identity (with its source) there, what is equal to it is not much at fault; (it is) sprung from a story of the itihāsas, or else another (story) with a good basis.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.26
मन्त्रदूतप्रयाणाजिनियतं नातिविस्तरम् शक्कर्यातिजगत्यातिशक्कर्या त्रिष्टुभा(३) तथा
mantradūtaprayāṇājiniyataṃ nātivistaram śakkaryātijagatyātiśakkaryā triṣṭubhā(3) tathā
It is fixed with counsel, envoy, marching, and battle, and not too extensive; likewise with the śakkarī, atijagatī, atiśakkarī, and triṣṭubh (metres),
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.27
पुष्पिताग्रादिभिर्वक्राभिजनैश्चारुभिः समैः मुक्ता(४) तु भिन्नवृत्तान्ता नातिसंक्षिप्तसर्गकम्
puṣpitāgrādibhirvakrābhijanaiścārubhiḥ samaiḥ muktā(4) tu bhinnavṛttāntā nātisaṃkṣiptasargakam
and with puṣpitāgrā and the rest, graceful and even, of bent(?) descent; but a freed (verse) has a differing subject-matter; its cantos are not too much abbreviated.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.28
अतिशर्क्वरिकाष्टिभ्यामेकसङ्कीर्णकैः परः मात्रयाप्यपरः सर्गः प्राशस्त्येषु च पश्चिमः
atiśarkvarikāṣṭibhyāmekasaṅkīrṇakaiḥ paraḥ mātrayāpyaparaḥ sargaḥ prāśastyeṣu ca paścimaḥ
By atiśakvarī and aṣṭi (metres), together with the singly-mixed ones, (comes) the higher (canto); and another canto (differs) even by a single mora; and among the commendable features (this is) the last.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.29
कल्पो ऽतिनिन्दितस्तस्मिन्विशेषानादरः सतां नगरार्णवशैलर्तु चन्द्रार्काश्रमपादपैः
kalpo 'tininditastasminviśeṣānādaraḥ satāṃ nagarārṇavaśailartu candrārkāśramapādapaiḥ
A (poetic) procedure that is much censured, (namely) in it a disregard of the particulars of the good; (and there should be descriptions) with city, ocean, mountain, season, moon, sun, hermitage and trees—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.30
उद्यानसलिलक्रीडामधुपानरतोत्सवैः दूतीवचनविन्यासैर् असतीचरिताद्भूतैः
udyānasalilakrīḍāmadhupānaratotsavaiḥ dūtīvacanavinyāsair asatīcaritādbhūtaiḥ
—with gardens, water-sports, wine-drinking, and festivals of love-making, with the arrangement of a female messenger's speeches, (and) with the marvels of the conduct of unfaithful women,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.31
तमसा मरुताप्यन्यैर् विभावैर् अतिनिर्भरैः :न् १ कश्यप इति ज॥ , ञ॥ , ट॥ च २ तादर्थमजहत्तत्रेति ज॥ ३ अनुष्टुभेति ज॥ ४ व्यक्तेति ञ॥ :प् २०१ सर्ववृत्तिप्रवृत्तञ्च सर्वभावप्रभावितम्
tamasā marutāpyanyair vibhāvair atinirbharaiḥ :n 1 kaśyapa iti ja.. , ña.. , ṭa.. ca 2 tādarthamajahattatreti ja.. 3 anuṣṭubheti ja.. 4 vyakteti ña.. :p 201 sarvavṛttipravṛttañca sarvabhāvaprabhāvitam
—with darkness, with wind, and with other exceedingly abundant determinants (vibhāvas); and (it should be) engaged in all styles (of composition) and pervaded by all emotional states,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.32
सर्वरीतिरसैः पुष्टं(१) पुष्टङ्गुणविभूषणैः अत एव महाकाव्यं तत्कर्ता च महाकविः
sarvarītirasaiḥ puṣṭaṃ(1) puṣṭaṅguṇavibhūṣaṇaiḥ ata eva mahākāvyaṃ tatkartā ca mahākaviḥ
—nourished with all the rītis and rasas, adorned with well-developed qualities: for just this reason it is a mahākāvya, and its maker a great poet.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.33
वाग्वैदग्ध्यप्रधानेपि रस एवात्र जीवितम् पृथक्प्रयत्ननिर्वर्त्यं वाग्वक्रिम्नि रसाद्वपुः
vāgvaidagdhyapradhānepi rasa evātra jīvitam pṛthakprayatnanirvartyaṃ vāgvakrimni rasādvapuḥ
Even when cleverness of speech is predominant, rasa alone is the life here; (only) in verbal crookedness is the body something to be accomplished by a separate effort, apart from rasa.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.34
चतुर्वर्गफलं विश्वग्व्याख्यातं नायकाख्यया समानवृत्तिनिर्व्यूटः कौशिकीवृत्तिकोमलः
caturvargaphalaṃ viśvagvyākhyātaṃ nāyakākhyayā samānavṛttinirvyūṭaḥ kauśikīvṛttikomalaḥ
Having the four aims (of life) as its fruit, expounded throughout under the name of the hero, carried through in uniform metre, soft with the kaiśikī style—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.35
कलापो ऽत्र प्रवासः प्रागनुरागाह्वयो रसः सविशेषकञ्च प्राप्त्यादि संस्कृतेनेत्रेण च
kalāpo 'tra pravāsaḥ prāganurāgāhvayo rasaḥ saviśeṣakañca prāptyādi saṃskṛtenetreṇa ca
Here the kalāpa is (the theme of) absence abroad; the rasa named prior love; and, with the viśeṣaka, attainment and the rest, and by means of Sanskrit as its instrument.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.36
श्लोकैर् अनेकैः कुलकं स्यात् सन्दानितकानि तत् मुक्तकं श्लोक एकैकश् चमत्कारक्षमः सता ं
ślokair anekaiḥ kulakaṃ syāt sandānitakāni tat muktakaṃ śloka ekaikaś camatkārakṣamaḥ satā ṃ
With many verses (together) there would be a kulaka; those are the sandānitakas; a muktaka is each single verse capable of giving delight to the good.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
AgP 336.37
सूक्तिभिः कविसिंहानां सुन्दरीभिः समन्वितः कोषो ब्रह्मापरिच्छिन्नः स विदग्धाय रोचते
sūktibhiḥ kavisiṃhānāṃ sundarībhiḥ samanvitaḥ koṣo brahmāparicchinnaḥ sa vidagdhāya rocate
A kośa (anthology), furnished with the beautiful fine sayings of lions among poets, undivided (into sections), pleases the connoisseur.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
AgP 336.38
आभासोपमशक्तिश् च सर्गे यद्भिन्नवृत्तता मिश्रं वपुरिति ख्यातं प्रकीर्णमिति च द्विधा श्रव्यञ्चैवाभिनेयञ्च प्रकीर्णं सकलोक्तिभिः
ābhāsopamaśaktiś ca sarge yadbhinnavṛttatā miśraṃ vapuriti khyātaṃ prakīrṇamiti ca dvidhā śravyañcaivābhineyañca prakīrṇaṃ sakaloktibhiḥ
And there is the semblance-like capacity, when in a canto there is a change of metre; (this) is known as the 'mixed body', and also as 'miscellaneous' (prakīrṇa), which is twofold: to be heard and to be acted; the miscellaneous consists of all (kinds of) utterance.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain