Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 36
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
बलिः करोपहारादौ सैन्यस्थैर् यादिके बलं स्त्रीकटीवस्त्रबन्धे ऽपि नीवी परिपणे ऽपि च
baliḥ karopahārādau sainyasthair yādike balaṃ strīkaṭīvastrabandhe 'pi nīvī paripaṇe 'pi ca
Das Wort bali bezeichnet Steuer/Tribut oder eine mit der Hand dargebrachte Opfergabe und Ähnliches; bala bezeichnet die Stärke eines Heeres und verwandte Bedeutungen. Das Wort nīvī bezeichnet den Knoten des weiblichen Taillentuchs (Gürtelbindung) und auch einen Einsatz/Pfand beim Wetten.
Lord Agni (teaching to Vasiṣṭha, in the encyclopedic-nighaṇṭu style section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Correct interpretation of administrative and social terms: bali as tax/tribute or offering; bala as military strength; nīvī as garment-knot or gambling stake—useful for law, revenue, and narrative clarity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Bali, Bala, Nīvī—technical senses in revenue, military, dress, and gambling","lookup_keywords":["bali","bala","nīvī","kara","dyūta"],"quick_summary":"Defines key polysemous terms used in governance and society: bali (tribute/offering), bala (army strength), and nīvī (woman’s waist-fastening; also wager/stake)."}
Concept: Domain-specific semantics: the same word shifts meaning across revenue, ritual, military, attire, and gambling contexts.
Application: Prevents errors in interpreting edicts, contracts, and narrative descriptions involving tax, offerings, troop strength, clothing, and wagers.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Lexicography / Synonyms and Technical Vocabulary)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Four vignettes: a tax collector receiving bali; a priest receiving a hand-offering; an army muster showing bala; a woman tying a waist-cloth knot (nīvī); and gamblers placing a stake labeled nīvī.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural with segmented panels: tribute collection, ritual offering by hand, army formation as a mass of spears, woman fastening waist-cloth, and a dyūta scene with dice and coins, warm earthy palette and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold accents: central royal treasury scene (bali), side panel of temple offering, lower panel of army strength display, and a small elegant depiction of nīvī waist-knot, ornate borders and gilded highlights","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic illustration: neatly separated labeled scenes for bali/bala/nīvī meanings, clear gestures and objects (coins, offering tray, troop lines, waist-knot, wager pile), fine lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with multiple registers: revenue office, temple courtyard offering, military parade ground, zenana dressing moment (modest depiction), and gamblers at a carpeted gathering, intricate detail and perspective"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: करोपहारादौ → कर + उपहार + आदौ; सैन्यस्थैर् → सैन्यस्थैः + (रेफ-सन्धि/विसर्ग-लोप in recitation); बन्धे ऽपि → बन्धे + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ); परिपणे ऽपि → परिपणे + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Sahitya-śāstra / Śabdārtha-kośa run of entries)
FAQs
It teaches precise Sanskrit technical meanings: bali as tribute/hand-offering, bala as military strength/force, and nīvī as a waist-fastening and also a betting stake.
By functioning like a nighaṇṭu (lexicon), it catalogs polysemous terms used across ritual, governance, military discourse, and social practices—showing the text’s multi-disciplinary scope.
Correct understanding of terms like bali (offering/tribute) supports proper performance and intention in giving and ritual acts, which is traditionally linked with merit (puṇya) through accurate practice.