Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 37
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
शुक्रले मूषिके श्रेष्ठे सुकृते वृषभे वृषः द्यूताक्षे सारिफलके ऽप्याकर्षो ऽथाक्षमिन्द्रिये
śukrale mūṣike śreṣṭhe sukṛte vṛṣabhe vṛṣaḥ dyūtākṣe sāriphalake 'pyākarṣo 'thākṣamindriye
تُستعمل كلمة «فْرِشَه (vṛṣaḥ)» في معاني: رجل شهواني، وفأر، والأفضل (الممتاز)، والعمل ذو الاستحقاق، والثور. ويُستعمل مصطلح «آكَرْشَه (ākarṣaḥ)» للنرد في القمار، وكذلك لبذرة ثمرة الساري؛ أما «أكْشَم (akṣam)» فيدلّ على عضو من أعضاء الحس (قوة إدراكية).
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s instructional narration to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Lexical disambiguation for reading/commentary: vṛṣaḥ across moral/animal/quality/action senses; ākarṣaḥ as die/seed; akṣam as sense-organ—useful in dharma, narrative, and technical prose.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vṛṣaḥ, Ākarṣaḥ, Akṣam—multiple senses in kośa tradition","lookup_keywords":["vṛṣaḥ","ākarṣaḥ","akṣa","indriya","dyūta"],"quick_summary":"Provides a compact kośa-entry: vṛṣaḥ can denote lustful man, mouse, excellent one, meritorious act, or bull; ākarṣaḥ denotes a gambling die or a sāri-fruit seed; akṣam denotes a sense faculty."}
Concept: Indriya-terminology (akṣa) and the necessity of contextual meaning-selection in śāstra.
Application: Supports accurate philosophical and narrative interpretation when ‘akṣa’ might otherwise be mistaken for ‘axle/dice/eye’ in other contexts.
Khanda Section: Nighaṇṭu / Śabdārtha-kośa (Lexicon of synonyms and technical terms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lexicon page comes alive: a bull (vṛṣabha), a mouse (mūṣika), a radiant ‘excellent one’ figure, a person performing a meritorious act (sukṛta), a gambler’s die (ākarṣa), a sāri-fruit seed, and a diagram of sense-organs labeled akṣa/indriya.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with symbolic vignettes around a central manuscript: bull and mouse rendered iconically, a devotee giving charity (sukṛta), a gambler with a die, a stylized seed, and a simple indriya diagram, bold outlines and flat colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central gilded manuscript and scholar, surrounding medallions: bull, mouse, charity scene, die, seed, and a lotus-like indriya emblem, rich reds/greens with gold leaf accents","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional layout: labeled illustrations of vṛṣaḥ senses and ākarṣaḥ/akṣam, fine linework, soft palette, diagrammatic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic bull and mouse, refined indoor gambling scene with die, a small still-life of fruit/seed, and a scholar pointing to an indriya chart, detailed textures and margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: फलके ऽपि → फलके + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ); आकर्षो ऽथ → आकर्षः + अथ (ः + अ → ओऽ); अथाक्षमिन्द्रिये → अथ + अक्षम् + इन्द्रिये (अ + अ → आ; m + i → मि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Nighaṇṭu / Śabdārtha-kośa entries around dyūta and indriya terms)
FAQs
This verse imparts nighaṇṭu-vidyā (lexicography): it lists multiple accepted meanings of key Sanskrit terms (vṛṣaḥ, ākarṣaḥ, akṣam) used across śāstric and literary contexts.
By functioning like a compact Sanskrit glossary, it supports accurate interpretation of diverse disciplines (ritual, poetics, law, medicine) that the Agni Purana covers—showing it preserves not only doctrines but also the linguistic tools needed to read śāstra precisely.
Correct understanding of śabda (words) safeguards correct practice and correct recitation; in a Purāṇic frame, clarity of meaning prevents ritual and doctrinal error, supporting dharma and the merit (sukṛta) gained from right knowledge and right action.