Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 28
Discrimination of the Qualities of Poetry (Kāvya-guṇa-viveka) — Closing Verse/Colophon Transition
अनुप्रासे पदावृत्तिर्व्यस्तसम्बन्धता शुभा नार्थसंग्रहणे दोषो व्युत्क्रमाद्यैर् न लिप्यते
anuprāse padāvṛttirvyastasambandhatā śubhā nārthasaṃgrahaṇe doṣo vyutkramādyair na lipyate
অনুপ্রাসে পদপুনরাবৃত্তি প্রশংসনীয়, এবং ব্যস্ত (উল্টানো) সম্পর্কও শোভন হতে পারে। অভিপ্রেত অর্থ গ্রহণে কেবল ব্যুত্ক্রম প্রভৃতির জন্য দোষ আরোপ করা হয় না।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vashistha in encyclopedic topics, here kavya-shastra)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Compose anuprāsa (alliteration) effectively by allowing tasteful word-recurrence and flexible syntactic arrangement (vyasta-sambandha) without treating inversion as a fault when meaning remains clear.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Anuprāsa: Word-recurrence and permissible inversion","lookup_keywords":["anuprāsa","padāvṛtti","vyasta-sambandha","vyutkrama","doṣa-abhāva"],"quick_summary":"In alliteration, repeating words/sounds can be a virtue; even inverted syntactic linkage may be aesthetically pleasing, and inversion is not a fault if sense-communication is intact."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa
Concept: Aesthetic success can override rigid linear syntax; clarity of artha is the deciding criterion for faultlessness.
Application: In kāvya composition and critique, judge inversion by intelligibility and charm, not by mere departure from prose order.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara and Kavya-lakshana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet in a court recites an alliterative verse; listeners enjoy the repeated sounds while a grammarian notes that the inverted word order still conveys meaning clearly.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal sabhā with poet holding palm-leaf, sound-wave motifs around repeated syllables, attentive audience, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, poet and patron with gold halo-like ornamentation around syllables, stylized script ribbon showing repeated consonants, rich textiles","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional panel showing two word orders (straight vs inverted) both acceptable, alongside a highlighted anuprāsa pattern, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature court scene, poet reciting, connoisseurs reacting, marginal notes showing repeated phonemes, intricate architectural backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पदावृत्तिः + व्यस्तसम्बन्धता → पदावृत्तिर्व्यस्तसम्बन्धता; न + अर्थसंग्रहणे → नार्थसंग्रहणे; व्युत्क्रमाद्यैः (आदि + ऐः); आद्यैः + न → आद्यैर् न (रेफ-संधि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 346 (alaṅkāra-lakṣaṇa and doṣa-guṇa)
FAQs
It teaches a kavya-shastra rule: in anuprāsa (alliteration/phonetic ornament), word-repetition and even inverted syntax (vyasta-sambandha, vyutkrama) can be acceptable and are not counted as poetic faults if the intended meaning is still properly conveyed.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana systematizes secular sciences; here it codifies Sanskrit literary theory (alankara and dosha-nirnaya), showing the text’s coverage of aesthetics and composition alongside dharma, polity, medicine, and other disciplines.
By guiding correct and effective sacred/literary expression, it supports dharmic speech and teaching: ornamentation is encouraged when it clarifies or enhances meaning, avoiding confusion—thus aligning eloquence with right communication (satya-hita-vacana).