Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 11
Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti
कुर्याच्चतुर्विधं स्तोर्त्रं पक्षयोरुभयोरपि तपस्विव्यञ्जनोपेतैः सुचरैः सह संवसेत्
kuryāccaturvidhaṃ stortraṃ pakṣayorubhayorapi tapasvivyañjanopetaiḥ sucaraiḥ saha saṃvaset
ينبغي أن يُنشأ ستوترا (ترنيمةُ تسبيح) على أربعة أنحاء، صالحةً لكلا الجانبين (أو القسمين)؛ وأن يُساكَنَ أهلُ الفضيلة، الموصوفون بعلامات التَّبَس (tapas: الزهد والتقشّف) وحُسن السيرة.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Guidance for composing structured hymns and cultivating ethical company (satsaṅga) to support disciplined literary and devotional practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Caturvidha-stotra-vidhi & Satsaṅga (Fourfold Hymn and Keeping Virtuous Company)","lookup_keywords":["stotra","caturvidha","su-carita","tapassvī","satsaṅga"],"quick_summary":"Compose hymns in a fourfold scheme (structured across both parts/divisions) and live with the virtuous—ascetic-marked, well-conducted companions—so that literary devotion is supported by character and community."}
Concept: Satsaṅga and śīla (conduct) stabilize spiritual-literary practice; composition is not merely technique but supported by tapas and right living.
Application: Adopt a regimen: structured hymn-writing plus intentional association with disciplined, ethical practitioners to refine speech, mind, and devotion.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas/Alankara & Stotra-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet-devotee composing a hymn on palm leaves in a quiet āśrama setting, with four-part structure indicated by four panels or four garlands; nearby sit virtuous ascetics and well-conducted companions, embodying satsaṅga.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, serene āśrama grove, poet writing on palm leaf, four symbolic sections shown as four garlands or four lamps, ascetics with calm faces seated nearby, earthy reds/ochres and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, devotional composition scene with gold-highlighted lamps and ornaments, poet-devotee before a small shrine, fourfold hymn suggested by four framed verses, virtuous companions seated in reverent posture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional depiction of hymn composition: four labeled segments around the central writer, gentle shading, refined faces of tapasvins, emphasis on disciplined conduct.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate scholarly gathering in a garden pavilion, poet with manuscript, companions in simple ascetic attire, fourfold structure shown as four separate folios laid out, detailed flora and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kuryāt+ca → kuryācca; pakṣayoḥ+ubhayayoḥ+api → pakṣayorubhayorapi; tapasvi+vyañjana+upetaiḥ → tapasvivyañjanopetaiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra sections on chandas/alaṅkāra and stotra-vidhi; Agni Purana dharma passages praising satsaṅga and sadācāra
FAQs
It teaches stotra-vidhi: composing a hymn in a fourfold classification and applying it across both structural divisions (pakṣa-dvaya), alongside the practical discipline of keeping holy company (satsanga) with austerity-marked, well-conducted persons.
Beyond ritual and theology, it includes technical guidance on Sanskrit devotional composition (a Sahitya-shastra adjacent topic) and pairs it with social-ethical instruction (how a practitioner should live), illustrating the text’s wide scope from literary form to lived discipline.
Right praise (well-formed stotra) and association with the virtuous are presented as purifying supports for devotion, strengthening character, curbing harmful influences, and increasing religious merit through disciplined speech and conduct.