Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 31
Discrimination of the Qualities of Poetry (Kāvya-guṇa-viveka) — Closing Verse/Colophon Transition
एकादशनिरस्तत्वमिति ञ समान्यश् च विशिष्टश् च धर्मवद्भवति द्विधा सिद्धसैद्धान्तिकानाञ्च कवीनाञ्चाविवादतः
ekādaśanirastatvamiti ña samānyaś ca viśiṣṭaś ca dharmavadbhavati dvidhā siddhasaiddhāntikānāñca kavīnāñcāvivādataḥ
Die Gelehrten erklären, der Zustand, von den elf (poetischen) Fehlern frei zu sein, sei zweifach — allgemein und besonders — wie auch das «Dharma». Darüber besteht kein Streit, weder unter den vollendeten Autoritäten der etablierten Lehrsysteme noch unter den Dichtern.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) speaking to the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Kavya-pariksha (poetic evaluation): classify and apply the rule of 'nirasta-doṣatva' (freedom from poetic faults) as a general vs particular criterion when composing or critiquing poetry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ekādaśa-doṣa-nirāsa: Sāmānya–Viśeṣa-bheda","lookup_keywords":["ekadasha dosha","nirasta-doṣatva","sāmānya","viśeṣa","kāvya-doṣa"],"quick_summary":"Freedom from the eleven poetic faults is taught as twofold—general and particular—analogous to how dharma can be treated in broad and specific forms; this is accepted by both theoreticians and poets."}
Concept: Sāmānya–viśeṣa bheda as a method of defining norms (here, poetic correctness) and grounding them in shared authority (siddhānta + kavi-prayoga).
Application: When judging a poem, first apply general faultlessness (baseline acceptability), then apply particular faultlessness relative to genre, rasa, speaker, and context.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra / Alaṅkāra-śāstra: principles of poetic theory and critical doctrines)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned sabhā where siddhāntins and poets jointly examine a manuscript, marking out eleven faults and then dividing the rule into general and particular standards, like jurists discussing dharma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, scholarly assembly in a pillared hall, palm-leaf manuscripts, stylus, ochre-green palette, two groups—ācāryas and kavis—debating 'doṣa-nirāsa' with calm gestures, traditional ornamentation","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on manuscript edges and ornaments, central seated ācārya pointing to a palm-leaf list of eleven doṣas, poets with veena and manuscript, symmetrical composition, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional tableau: a board/palm-leaf showing 'sāmānya' and 'viśeṣa' headings, scholars annotating verses, fine linework, soft shading, didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary salon, detailed textiles and carpets, a calligrapher’s desk with annotated poem, figures in profile discussing twofold classification, delicate borders and architectural depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dharmavadbhavati → dharmavat + bhavati; siddhasaiddhāntikānāñca → siddha-saiddhāntikānām + ca; kavīnāñcāvivādataḥ → kavīnām + ca + avivādataḥ; samānyaś/viśiṣṭaś → samānyaḥ/viśiṣṭaḥ before ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 346 (Sahitya-shastra section on doṣa/guṇa and critical categories)
FAQs
It conveys a technical principle of Kavya-śāstra: freedom from the ‘eleven faults’ (doṣas) is assessed in two modes—general (samānya) and specific (viśiṣṭa)—as a standard critical framework accepted by both theorists and poets.
By codifying a rule from Sanskrit poetics (Alaṅkāra/Kāvya-śāstra) alongside other disciplines, the Agni Purana demonstrates its encyclopedic scope—preserving not only ritual and dharma but also formal literary theory used for evaluating poetry.
By likening poetic correctness to dharma, the verse frames disciplined speech and refined expression as dharmic conduct—suggesting that truthful, well-formed, fault-free language supports right order (dharma) and cultivates sattvic refinement.