Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 5
काव्यगुणविवेकः
Examination of the Qualities of Poetry
शब्दमाश्रयते काव्यं शरीरं यः स तद्गुणः श्लोषो लालित्यागाम्भीर्यसौकुमार्यमुदारता
śabdamāśrayate kāvyaṃ śarīraṃ yaḥ sa tadguṇaḥ śloṣo lālityāgāmbhīryasaukumāryamudāratā
الشعر قائم على الألفاظ؛ و«جسد» الشعر هو ما يقوم عليه، وخصاله هي: śleṣa (إيجاز محكم وذكاء في العبارة، كثيرًا ما يحمل معنى مزدوجًا)، والرقة الجميلة (lālitya)، والعمق (gāmbhīrya)، واللطف والنعومة (saukumārya)، والعظمة والسعة (udāratā).
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Provides a checklist of core poetic guṇas for composition and critique, emphasizing śabda (diction) as the body of poetry and naming key qualities to cultivate.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śabda-śarīra of Kāvya and the Five Guṇas","lookup_keywords":["śabda-śarīra","kāvya-guṇa","śleṣa","lālitya","gāmbhīrya"],"quick_summary":"Poetry rests on words as its body; its principal qualities are śleṣa, elegance (lālitya), depth (gāmbhīrya), delicacy (saukumārya), and grandeur (udāratā)."}
Concept: Form (śabda) is the vehicle-body of poetry; excellence is a set of cultivable virtues rather than mere ornament.
Application: Use the five guṇas as an editing rubric: tighten śleṣa without obscurity, maintain lālitya, add gāmbhīrya through layered sense, keep saukumārya in sound, and aim for udāratā in scope.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya and Alankara)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Agni presents a ‘body of poetry’ metaphor: a manuscript shaped like a human figure labeled śabda-śarīra, with five radiant tags—śleṣa, lālitya, gāmbhīrya, saukumārya, udāratā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic human-form manuscript with five labeled guṇa emblems around it, Agni teaching, stylized flames and lotus borders, earthy tones","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central manuscript-body motif with embossed gold labels for the five guṇas, Agni with gold halo, rich ornamentation and temple backdrop","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional chart aesthetic: manuscript-body diagram and five guṇa callouts, fine linework, subdued palette, classroom scene","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier scene with a diagrammatic folio showing śabda-śarīra and five guṇas in elegant calligraphy, scholars discussing, intricate textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: शब्दमाश्रयते→शब्दम् आश्रयते; तद्गुणः→तत्-गुणः; श्लोषो (as given) normalized to śleṣaḥ (common reading); लालित्यागाम्भीर्यसौकुमार्यमुदारता→lālitya-agāmbhīrya-saukumārya-mudāratā (dvandva list).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: earlier śabdālaṅkāra section (śleṣa etc.); Agni Purana: forthcoming elaborations of guṇas and doṣas in the same kāvya-guṇa-viveka adhyāya
FAQs
It imparts kāvya-vidyā (Sanskrit poetics): defining poetry as word-based and listing core poetic guṇas—śleṣa, elegance, depth, delicacy, and grandeur—used to evaluate and compose refined literature.
By treating alankāra-śāstra alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and other sciences, it shows the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic scope—preserving systematic literary theory (kāvya structure and qualities) within a Purāṇic framework.
While primarily technical, it supports dhārmic culture by promoting truthful, elevated, and aesthetically disciplined speech; such refined expression is traditionally viewed as purifying, conducive to good saṃskāras, and supportive of dharma through instructive literature.