Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 25
Chapter 336 — काव्यादिलक्षणम्
Definitions of Poetry and Related Arts
तादात्म्यमजहत्तत्र तत्समं नाति दुष्यति इतिहासकथोद्भूतमितरद्वा सदाश्रयं
tādātmyamajahattatra tatsamaṃ nāti duṣyati itihāsakathodbhūtamitaradvā sadāśrayaṃ
هنا يُقبَل التماثل/التطابق (تادآتْمْيَة) ما دام لا يهجر المعنى الأصلي؛ وما كان مساوياً له لا يُعَدّ خطأً كبيراً. سواء نشأ من الإتيهاسا (الملحمة) أو من الكَثا (الحكاية)، أو من غير ذلك، فينبغي أن يستند دائماً إلى سندٍ لائقٍ راسخ.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Apply the rule for acceptable identification (tādātmya) in figurative expression—retain the principal sense (ajahad) and ensure the comparison/identity is well-supported by source material (itihāsa/kathā) or a credible basis; use in critique to flag faulty over-identification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Tādātmya in poetic identification: Ajahat-pradhānārtha and āśraya (grounding)","lookup_keywords":["tādātmya","ajahattva","pradhāna-artha","itihāsa","kathā"],"quick_summary":"Poetic identification is acceptable when it does not abandon the principal meaning and is supported by an appropriate basis. Derive imagery from well-known narratives (itihāsa/kathā) or ensure internal plausibility to avoid doṣa (fault)."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka/Tādātmya (identity-based figuration) with doṣa-avoidance guidance
Concept: Aucitya/āśraya: expression must be anchored in a fitting support; meaning should not collapse into incoherence.
Application: In writing or editing, test metaphors/identifications: (1) does the main sense remain intelligible? (2) is the identification supported by shared attributes or authoritative narrative precedent?
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara: Poetics and Dramaturgy)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet-scholar weighs two tablets: one labeled ‘Pradhāna-artha’ and another ‘Tādātmya’; behind him are shelves marked Itihāsa and Kathā, indicating proper sources and grounding.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, scholar seated with stylus, balance scale motif, background panels labeled इतिहास and कथा, strong outlines and symbolic props emphasizing ‘āśraya’ (support) as a pillar beneath a metaphorical figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf on the balance scale and manuscript edges, central scholar with serene face, ornate pillars labeled ‘Āśraya’, small vignettes of itihāsa scenes in medallions as ‘sources’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic composition: two example verses on a board—one ‘faulty’ and one ‘acceptable’—with the guru pointing to ‘ajahad-pradhāna-artha’; soft colors, precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature in a courtly library, critic-poet presenting a manuscript to a patron; marginal illustrations of Ramayana/Mahabharata episodes as legitimizing sources; fine calligraphy and delicate shading."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tatsamaṃ → tat + samam; nāti → na + ati; itihāsakathodbhūtamitaradvā → itihāsa-kathā-udbhūtam + itarat + vā; sadāśrayam → sadā + āśrayam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 336 (alaṅkāra/doṣa discussions around meaning and propriety)
FAQs
It imparts kavya-vidya: a rule of literary propriety—poetic identification (tādātmya) should preserve the main sense (ajahat) and be grounded in a valid supporting basis, whether drawn from itihāsa, kathā, or other sources.
By laying down technical standards for Sanskrit poetics (alankāra/guṇa-doṣa and interpretive propriety), it shows the Agni Purana is not only theological but also a handbook of classical knowledge systems, including literary theory alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences.
It encourages truthful, well-supported speech and composition; disciplined use of meaning and sources aligns expression with dharma, reducing misleading or harmful discourse and supporting merit through responsible learning and teaching.