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
Even if a statement has been seized by a thief’s hand (stolen or misappropriated), it is still recognized as such. Not perceiving the “second” (the true corroboration), one errs; such a person cannot be conquered. The remaining readings are merely expansions within the textual tradition. What is not accepted by all people yet is asserted to exist becomes self-contradictory; and when stated so, it does not take root in another’s heart.
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.