Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 11
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
अभिधेयाविनाभूता प्रतीतिर् लक्षणोच्यते अभिधेयेन सम्बन्धात्सामीप्यात्समवायतः
abhidheyāvinābhūtā pratītir lakṣaṇocyate abhidheyena sambandhātsāmīpyātsamavāyataḥ
অভিধেয় (মুখ্য অৰ্থ)ৰ সৈতে অবিনাভূতভাৱে যুক্ত যি বোধ, তাকেই ‘লক্ষণা’ বোলা হয়। ই অভিধেয়ৰ সৈতে সম্পর্ক, সামীপ্য (নিকটতা) অথবা সমবায় (অন্তর্নিহিত সংযোগ)ৰ পৰা জন্মে।
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse on poetics/semantics)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pratītir → pratītiḥ (visarga before r); lakṣaṇocyate → lakṣaṇā + ucyate; sambandhātsāmīpyāt → sambandhāt + sāmīpyāt
FAQs
It teaches a core principle of Sanskrit semantic theory in Kavya/Alankara-shastra: lakṣaṇā (indirect/indicated meaning) occurs when a cognition, inseparable from the primary denotation, is triggered via relation, proximity, or inherence.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana also systematizes literary theory and linguistic analysis; this verse gives a technical definition of lakṣaṇā and its causal bases, showing the text’s coverage of advanced Sanskrit poetics and meaning-structure.
By refining correct comprehension of scripture and refined speech (śāstra-artha and kavya-artha), it supports accurate understanding and transmission of dharma; clarity of meaning is treated as a purifier of study and teaching.