Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 34
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
यमानिलेन्द्रचन्द्रार्कविष्णुसिंहादिके हरिः दरो ऽस्त्रियां भये श्वभ्रे जठरः कठिने ऽपि च
yamānilendracandrārkaviṣṇusiṃhādike hariḥ daro 'striyāṃ bhaye śvabhre jaṭharaḥ kaṭhine 'pi ca
In Zusammenhängen wie Yama, Vāyu (Wind), Indra, Mond, Sonne, Viṣṇu, Löwe und dergleichen wird er „Hari“ genannt. Im Sinn von „nicht Frau“ (d. h. männlich) heißt er „Dara“; in Furcht und in einer gefährlichen Grube/Schlucht heißt er „Jaṭhara“; und auch im Sinn von „hart, unnachgiebig“ wird er so bezeichnet.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Polysemy-handling in reading/recitation and in composing/commenting: selecting the correct sense of a word (hari/dara/jaṭhara) by context.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Contextual senses of Hari, Dara, Jaṭhara (śabdārtha-nirdeśa)","lookup_keywords":["hari","dara","jaṭhara","śabdārtha","nighaṇṭu"],"quick_summary":"The verse teaches context-based meanings: ‘Hari’ functions as a name in several deity/force contexts; ‘Dara’ can mean ‘male (not woman)’; ‘Jaṭhara’ can denote fear/pit and also hardness, depending on usage."}
Concept: Śabda as a multi-sense carrier; meaning is fixed by context (prakaraṇa) rather than by word-form alone.
Application: Avoids misinterpretation in śāstra-reading, mantra/stotra recitation, and legal/ritual instructions where a single term may shift sense.
Khanda Section: Nama-vidya (Lexicography / Synonyms for Vishnu and related epithets)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned paṇḍita points to a palm-leaf lexicon while icons/symbols of Yama, Vāyu, Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Viṣṇu, and a lion appear as contextual panels; beside them, a chasm (śvabhra) and a hard rock illustrate ‘jaṭhara’ senses.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, central seated Sanskrit scholar with palm-leaf manuscript, surrounding circular vignettes of Yama, Vayu, Indra, Chandra, Surya, Vishnu, and a lion, plus a dark ravine and a hard stone, earthy reds and ochres, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf haloed Vishnu panel labeled ‘Hari’, adjacent small panels of Surya and Chandra, a lion emblem, and a scholar holding a manuscript, rich jewel tones, ornate borders, gold embossing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau of a teacher explaining a lexicon to students, with neatly drawn symbolic inserts (deities, ravine, rock) to show contextual meanings, delicate lines, muted palette, clean annotations","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scholar in a library presenting a glossary page, marginal mini-scenes of deities and a precipice to indicate meanings, fine brushwork, detailed textiles, balanced margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दरो ऽस्त्रियां → दरः + अस्त्रियाम् (अः + अ → ओऽ); कठिने ऽपि → कठिने + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ); समास/सन्धि-समुच्चयः: यम-अनिल-इन्द्र-चन्द्र-अर्क-विष्णु-सिंह-आदिके (समाहार-द्वन्द्व + ‘आदिक’).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Nama-vidya / Śabdārtha-kośa sequence)
FAQs
It teaches Nama-vidya: how specific epithets (e.g., Hari, Jaṭhara) are applied contextually as sanctioned synonymic usage within a Purāṇic lexicon.
By cataloging contextual synonyms and name-usage rules, it functions like a compact thesaurus/lexicon—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic modules alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts.
Knowing and using correct divine epithets is treated as a form of right remembrance (smaraṇa) and praise (stuti), supporting devotion and clarity in mantra, recitation, and theological understanding.