Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 17
काव्यगुणविवेकः
Examination of the Qualities of Poetry
स्वतन्त्रस्यान्यतन्त्रस्य वाह्यान्तःसमयोगतः तत्र व्युत्पत्तिरर्थस्य या सामयिकतेति सा
svatantrasyānyatantrasya vāhyāntaḥsamayogataḥ tatra vyutpattirarthasya yā sāmayikateti sā
إذا كانت (الكلمة) مستقلة أو تابعةً (لكلمة) أخرى، فإن معناها يُستبان من اقتران العوامل السياقية الخارجية والداخلية؛ وهذا الاستبانة للمعنى تُسمّى «ساماياكي (sāmayikī)»، أي الدلالة الاصطلاحية/العرفية.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) to sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Determining word-meaning via contextual factors (external co-text and internal semantic expectancy), especially for independent vs dependent words; useful for interpretation, lexicography, and precise poetic reading.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Sāmayikī (Conventional Signification) via External/Internal Context","lookup_keywords":["sāmayikī","vyutpatti","svatantra","anyatantra","bāhyāntasamayoga"],"quick_summary":"Meaning is ascertained through the conjunction of external context (co-text, situation) and internal factors (semantic fitness/expectancy) whether a word stands independently or depends on another. This contextual ascertainment is termed sāmayikī (conventional signification)."}
Concept: Meaning is not merely lexical; it is fixed by convention as activated through contextual conjunction—outer co-text and inner semantic constraints.
Application: For exegesis and translation: test meanings against both sentence environment (bāhya) and semantic compatibility/expectancy (āntara); treat dependent words via syntactic linkage and independent words via situational anchoring.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra / Vyākaraṇa-Artha-śāstra: semantics and word-meaning)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A semantic lesson: a teacher writes two headings 'svatantra' and 'anyatantra' on a board; around them are bubbles labeled bāhya (external context) and āntara (internal factors) converging to produce 'artha-vyutpatti' and 'sāmayikī'.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, classroom in a gurukula, stylized palm-leaf charts showing 'bāhya' and 'āntara' joining, serene faces, ochre and deep green palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted diagrammatic scroll in the guru’s hand, two-lobed composition for external/internal context, ornate borders, devotional dignity to learning.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional composition with labeled nodes (bāhya/āntara) feeding into 'artha', students attentive, fine detailing and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly assembly with a scribe, marginalia-like labels for bāhya/āntara, architectural niche background, precise linework."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Raga Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वतन्त्रस्यान्यतन्त्रस्य = स्वतन्त्रस्य + अन्यतन्त्रस्य; वाह्यान्तःसमयोगतः = वाह्य + अन्तः + समयोगतः; व्युत्पत्तिरर्थस्य = व्युत्पत्तिः + अर्थस्य; सामयिकतेति = सामयिकता + इति.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 345 (sections on artha, nāma-guṇa, guṇa like prasāda)
FAQs
It teaches a technical principle of semantics/poetics: meaning is determined by combining internal linguistic cues and external contextual cues, especially distinguishing independent vs. dependent word-usage.
Beyond ritual and mythology, the Agni Purana also preserves śāstric learning—here, a compact definition from Sanskrit semantics and kavya/grammar traditions about how word-meaning is conventionally fixed and contextually derived.
By promoting precise understanding of śāstric language and correct interpretation, it supports accurate study, teaching, and recitation of sacred texts—reducing error (doṣa) and strengthening right knowledge (samyag-jñāna).