Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 36
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
बलिः करोपहारादौ सैन्यस्थैर् यादिके बलं स्त्रीकटीवस्त्रबन्धे ऽपि नीवी परिपणे ऽपि च
baliḥ karopahārādau sainyasthair yādike balaṃ strīkaṭīvastrabandhe 'pi nīvī paripaṇe 'pi ca
لفظ «بَلي» يدلّ على الضريبة/الجزية أو القربان المُقدَّم باليد ونحو ذلك؛ ولفظ «بَلا» يدلّ على قوة الجيش وما يتصل بها من معانٍ. ولفظ «نِيفي» يدلّ على عقدة ثوب الخصر عند المرأة (رباط الوسط)، ويدلّ أيضاً على الرهان/المبلغ الموضوع في القمار.
Lord Agni (teaching to Vasiṣṭha, in the encyclopedic-nighaṇṭu style section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Correct interpretation of administrative and social terms: bali as tax/tribute or offering; bala as military strength; nīvī as garment-knot or gambling stake—useful for law, revenue, and narrative clarity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Bali, Bala, Nīvī—technical senses in revenue, military, dress, and gambling","lookup_keywords":["bali","bala","nīvī","kara","dyūta"],"quick_summary":"Defines key polysemous terms used in governance and society: bali (tribute/offering), bala (army strength), and nīvī (woman’s waist-fastening; also wager/stake)."}
Concept: Domain-specific semantics: the same word shifts meaning across revenue, ritual, military, attire, and gambling contexts.
Application: Prevents errors in interpreting edicts, contracts, and narrative descriptions involving tax, offerings, troop strength, clothing, and wagers.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Lexicography / Synonyms and Technical Vocabulary)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Four vignettes: a tax collector receiving bali; a priest receiving a hand-offering; an army muster showing bala; a woman tying a waist-cloth knot (nīvī); and gamblers placing a stake labeled nīvī.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with segmented panels: tribute collection, ritual offering by hand, army formation as a mass of spears, woman fastening waist-cloth, and a dyūta scene with dice and coins, warm earthy palette and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold accents: central royal treasury scene (bali), side panel of temple offering, lower panel of army strength display, and a small elegant depiction of nīvī waist-knot, ornate borders and gilded highlights","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic illustration: neatly separated labeled scenes for bali/bala/nīvī meanings, clear gestures and objects (coins, offering tray, troop lines, waist-knot, wager pile), fine lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with multiple registers: revenue office, temple courtyard offering, military parade ground, zenana dressing moment (modest depiction), and gamblers at a carpeted gathering, intricate detail and perspective"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: करोपहारादौ → कर + उपहार + आदौ; सैन्यस्थैर् → सैन्यस्थैः + (रेफ-सन्धि/विसर्ग-लोप in recitation); बन्धे ऽपि → बन्धे + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ); परिपणे ऽपि → परिपणे + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Sahitya-śāstra / Śabdārtha-kośa run of entries)
FAQs
It teaches precise Sanskrit technical meanings: bali as tribute/hand-offering, bala as military strength/force, and nīvī as a waist-fastening and also a betting stake.
By functioning like a nighaṇṭu (lexicon), it catalogs polysemous terms used across ritual, governance, military discourse, and social practices—showing the text’s multi-disciplinary scope.
Correct understanding of terms like bali (offering/tribute) supports proper performance and intention in giving and ritual acts, which is traditionally linked with merit (puṇya) through accurate practice.