Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 7
काव्यगुणविवेकः
Examination of the Qualities of Poetry
गुणादेशादिना पूर्वं पदसम्बद्धमक्षरं यत्रसन्धीयते नैव तल्लालित्यमुदाहृतं
guṇādeśādinā pūrvaṃ padasambaddhamakṣaraṃ yatrasandhīyate naiva tallālityamudāhṛtaṃ
لا يُعَدّ ذلك «لاليتيا» lālitya (عذوبة النظم ورقّة اللفظ) حيث إنّ مقطعًا/حرفًا كان مرتبطًا من قبلُ بكلمةٍ أخرى يُجعل يخضع للسَّندهي sandhi قبل إجراء الغوṇa guṇa والإبدال ونحو ذلك.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing Vasiṣṭha (contextual attribution for this didactic śāstra section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Avoid false ‘sweetness’ by not forcing sandhi changes on syllables already bound to a word before applying guṇa/ādeśa rules; preserve natural euphony and morphological integrity in poetic diction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Lālitya (euphony) is not forced by premature sandhi after guṇa/ādeśa manipulations","lookup_keywords":["lālitya","sandhi","guṇa","ādeśa","padasaṃbandha"],"quick_summary":"Lālitya is denied where a syllable already connected to a word is made to undergo sandhi prematurely, prior to guṇa/substitution operations. True sweetness arises from natural, rule-consistent phonetic flow, not contrived junctions."}
Concept: Aesthetic sweetness (lālitya) depends on disciplined adherence to linguistic order; beauty is not produced by violating the proper sequence of operations.
Application: In editing/recitation, check whether euphonic joins are legitimate and timely; prefer clarity and grammatical correctness over showy but incorrect sandhi.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara & Kavya-lakshana / Poetics and literary aesthetics)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grammar-poetics teacher shows two manuscript readings: one with forced sandhi and one with correct sequencing; the incorrect junction is marked as ‘not lālitya’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru with palm-leaf manuscripts, two lines of Sanskrit shown side-by-side, one junction painted as knotted/strained, the other as smooth flowing vine, muted ochres and greens, didactic mood","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, teacher under ornate arch, gold-leaf accentuating the ‘smooth’ correct sandhi line, the ‘forced’ line shown with broken rhythm motifs, rich decorative borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional diagram-like composition: labels ‘guṇa’, ‘ādeśa’, ‘sandhi’, arrows showing correct order, calm classroom with students, fine linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scribe and scholar debating a verse reading, marginal notes in nastaʿlīq-like calligraphy panels, one sandhi circled in red as faulty, intimate atelier setting"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: guṇa+ādeśa+ādinā→guṇādeśādinā; padasambaddham+akṣaram→padasambaddhamakṣaram; tat+lālityam→tallālityam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra discussion of śabda-doṣa/guṇa and phonetic elegance near 345; Agni Purana passages on varṇa-mādhurya and prasāda (adjacent verses)
FAQs
It imparts a technical rule from kāvya-śāstra/śabda-śāstra: euphony (lālitya) is not achieved by forcing sandhi on a syllable already bound to a word, especially when done prior to (or by mis-sequencing) operations like guṇa and substitutions (ādeśa).
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana codifies literary and linguistic standards—here, a precise criterion for poetic smoothness tied to phonological procedure (sandhi, guṇa, ādeśa), showing its coverage of grammar and aesthetics alongside religious topics.
Indirectly, it supports dharmic transmission: correct, pleasing speech and well-formed recitation/teaching preserve śāstra integrity, reducing error in learning and honoring sacred knowledge through disciplined language.