Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 14
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
चौरहस्तगतापि वेति ख , घ , ञ च द्वितीयं नानुपश्यतीति घ , ट च स जेतुं न च शक्यत इति ग , ङ च शेषा ये ग्रन्थविस्तरा इति ङ यन्नास्ति सर्वलोकस्य तदस्तीति विरुध्यते कथ्यमानं तथान्यस्य हृदये नावतिष्ठते
caurahastagatāpi veti kha , gha , ña ca dvitīyaṃ nānupaśyatīti gha , ṭa ca sa jetuṃ na ca śakyata iti ga , ṅa ca śeṣā ye granthavistarā iti ṅa yannāsti sarvalokasya tadastīti virudhyate kathyamānaṃ tathānyasya hṛdaye nāvatiṣṭhate
Selbst wenn eine Aussage «von der Hand eines Diebes ergriffen» (gestohlen oder angeeignet) wurde, wird sie dennoch als solche erkannt. Man erblickt das «Zweite» (die wahre Bestätigung) nicht und irrt daher; einen solchen Menschen kann man nicht bezwingen. Die übrigen Lesarten sind nur Ausweitungen innerhalb der Textüberlieferung. Was nicht von allen Menschen anerkannt ist und dennoch als existent behauptet wird, gerät in Selbstwiderspruch; und so vorgetragen, fasst es im Herzen eines anderen keinen Halt.
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing the sage Vashistha in the Agni Purana’s didactic sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for persuasive speech and textual criticism: avoid self-contradictory claims, ensure corroboration, and recognize that unshared premises fail to convince an audience.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Criteria for Convincing Statement: Non-contradiction and Public Acceptability","lookup_keywords":["viruddha","pratīti","anumāna","lokaprasiddhi","granthavistara"],"quick_summary":"A claim that contradicts common acceptance or lacks a confirmatory counterpart becomes internally opposed and fails to settle in another’s mind; many variant readings are later textual expansions."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha (self-contradiction) / Nyaya-style doṣa discussion
Concept: Speech/claim must avoid viruddhatā (contradiction) and should rest on shared cognition (lokaprasiddhi) and corroboration; otherwise it fails to persuade.
Application: In debate, teaching, or counsel: state what can be commonly recognized or demonstrably supported; supply corroboration; avoid asserting private, unverifiable entities as if universally real.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara & Niti-Subhashita)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned assembly where a speaker’s claim is challenged; one side presents a contradictory assertion, the audience remains unconvinced; scribes note variant readings as ‘granthavistāra’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sabhā scene with scholars seated, one orator gesturing, listeners with doubtful expressions, palm-leaf manuscripts and stylus, warm earthy tones, didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style court-assembly, central scholar holding manuscript, gold-leaf highlights on throne and aureoles, audience divided—some nodding, some unconvinced—emphasis on rhetoric and authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional debate tableau: two pandits, one presenting a ‘viruddha’ statement, the other pointing to a written contradiction on palm leaf, clear composition for pedagogy.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a literary salon, refined costumes, a disputation over a text, marginal notes and manuscripts visible, subtle facial expressions showing persuasion failing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चौरहस्तगतापि = चौरहस्तगता + अपि; वेति = वा + इति; नानुपश्यति = न + अनुपश्यति; यन्नास्ति = यत् + न + अस्ति; तदस्तीति = तत् + अस्ति + इति; नावतिष्ठते = न + अवतिष्ठते. अक्षर-संकेत (ख,घ,ञ,ट,ग,ङ) पाठभेद-सूचकाः।
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sahitya-śāstra portions on doṣa-guṇa, nyāya of statements, and nīti-subhāṣita (within/near adhyāya 165)
FAQs
It teaches a discourse principle: a claim that contradicts common/publicly accepted reality (or lacks corroboration) becomes internally inconsistent and fails to persuade; effective instruction must be logically consistent and verifiable.
Beyond ritual and mythology, it preserves guidance on rhetoric, reasoning, and ethical communication—showing the Agni Purana’s scope as a compendium that includes niti (statecraft/ethics) and standards for credible speech.
Truthful, consistent speech (satya aligned with reason and shared experience) is presented as ethically purifying; incoherent or contradictory assertions are implied to be spiritually unproductive because they do not stabilize understanding in others.