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
গুণ, আদেশ আদি প্ৰয়োগৰ আগতেই য’ত পদ-সম্পৰ্কিত অক্ষৰক সন্ধিত লগোৱা হয়, তাক ‘লালিত্য’ বুলি কোৱা নহয়।
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.