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
তাত মুখ্যাৰ্থ নাছাড়োঁৱা তাদাত্ম্য গ্ৰহণযোগ্য; আৰু তাৰ সমতুল্য প্ৰয়োগো অতিদোষজনক নহয়। ই ইতিহাস বা কথাৰ পৰা উদ্ভূত হওক বা অন্য উৎসৰ হওক, সদায় উপযুক্ত আশ্ৰয়ত প্রতিষ্ঠিত হ’ব লাগে।
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.