Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 4
Chapter 338 — शृङ्गारादिरसनिरूपणम्
Exposition of the Rasas beginning with Śṛṅgāra
अभिमानाद्रतिः सा च परिपोषमुपेयुषी व्यभिचार्यादिसामान्यात् शृङ्गार इति गीयते
abhimānādratiḥ sā ca paripoṣamupeyuṣī vyabhicāryādisāmānyāt śṛṅgāra iti gīyate
Jenes rati (erotische Liebe), aus abhimāna (besitzergreifender Selbstbezug) hervorgegangen und zur vollen Entfaltung genährt, wird—wenn es von den allgemein auftretenden vorübergehenden Regungen und dergleichen begleitet ist—als Śṛṅgāra, der erotische Rasa, besungen.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Rasa-identification in poetry/drama: diagnose when rati has matured with vyabhicāri-bhāvas to present Śṛṅgāra effectively in composition and performance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Śṛṅgāra-rasa as nourished rati with vyabhicāri-bhāvas","lookup_keywords":["śṛṅgāra","rati","abhimāna","vyabhicāri-bhāva","rasa-siddhānta"],"quick_summary":"Śṛṅgāra is defined as rati (love) arising with abhimāna and becoming fully intensified, supported by transitory emotions; useful as a compositional rule for evoking the erotic sentiment."}
Concept: Aesthetic causality: rati becomes rasa when nourished and accompanied by vyabhicāri-bhāvas; abhimāna functions as a psychological catalyst in love.
Application: For poets/actors: build a stable love-situation (ālambana), add stimulants (uddīpana) and appropriate transitory states (anxiety, longing, jealousy, delight) to ‘nourish’ rati into Śṛṅgāra.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya–rasa and alankara theory)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A refined courtly or garden scene where mutual love (rati) ripens through expressive gestures and fleeting emotions—glances, blush, hesitation—signifying Śṛṅgāra supported by transitory states.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: nayaka-nayika in a palace garden, stylized eyes and gestures, attendants showing subtle vyabhicāri-bhāvas (smile, bashfulness, longing), rich reds/ochres, ornamental foliage.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: divine-court Śṛṅgāra tableau with gold leaf jewelry, couple seated on a swing (dolā), lotus motifs, embossed ornaments emphasizing ‘paripōṣa’ (fullness) of rati.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional depiction of śṛṅgāra components—central couple (ālambana), surrounding icons for vyabhicāri-bhāvas (lālasa, harṣa, īrṣyā), delicate lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate terrace at dusk, lovers exchanging glances, attendants whispering, fine textiles, detailed flora, subtle facial expressions indicating transitory emotions, calligraphic caption ‘Śṛṅgāra’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: abhimānādratiḥ = abhimānāt + ratiḥ; paripoṣamupeyuṣī = paripoṣam + upeyuṣī; vyabhicāryādisāmānyāt = vyabhicāri-ādi-sāmānyāt.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sahitya-shastra chapters on rasa, bhāva, anubhāva, vyabhicāri-bhāva; Agni Purana: Natya-related sections on abhinaya and emotional expression
FAQs
It imparts poetic-technical knowledge (Sāhitya-śāstra): the definition of Śṛṅgāra-rasa as rati (the stable emotion) that matures and is supported by transitory emotions (vyabhicāri-bhāvas).
Beyond myth and ritual, it systematizes classical literary aesthetics—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of rasa/bhāva theory alongside other sciences, making it a compendium of cultural and technical disciplines.
By defining how emotions are refined into rasa, it frames art as a disciplined transformation of human feeling—supporting ethical, cultured enjoyment (sāttvika refinement) rather than uncontrolled passion.