Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 336 — काव्यादिलक्षणम्
Definitions of Poetry and Related Arts
कर्तृवंशप्रशंसा स्याद्यत्र गद्येन विस्तरात् कन्याहरणसंग्रामविप्रलम्भविपत्तयः
kartṛvaṃśapraśaṃsā syādyatra gadyena vistarāt kanyāharaṇasaṃgrāmavipralambhavipattayaḥ
That composition is the one in which, in expansive prose, the author’s lineage is praised, together with episodes such as the abduction of a maiden, battles, separation in love, and calamities.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Classifying prose-romance/narrative types by their conventional subject-matter (lineage-praise, abduction, war, love-separation, calamity) to guide composition and critique.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Gadya-prabandha lakshana: vamsa-prashamsa with episodic motifs","lookup_keywords":["gadya","vamsa-prashamsa","kanyaharana","sangrama","vipralambha"],"quick_summary":"A prose composition is characterized by expansive narration that includes lineage-praise and set narrative motifs like abduction, battle, lovers’ separation, and reversals/calamities—useful as a checklist for prabandha design."}
Concept: Lakshana (definitional markers) for identifying a prose narrative by its standard thematic constituents.
Application: Use as an evaluative rubric: if these motifs and lineage-praise are present in expansive prose, the work fits the defined prabandha-type.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya & Gadya-lakshana / Poetics and prose-description)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A courtly prose-narrator introduces his lineage, then a montage of key prabandha motifs: maiden-abduction, battlefield clash, lovers separated, and a calamity scene.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, ornate borders; a royal poet in sabha reciting lineage-praise, with four vignette panels: kanyaharana, sangrama, vipralambha, vipatti; traditional costumes, stylized faces, warm reds and greens.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf; central seated poet-scribe with palm-leaf manuscript, halo-like arch; surrounding medallions showing abduction, battle, separation, calamity; rich jewelry, embossed gold detailing, deep maroon background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading; instructional composition chart in the background labeling vamsa-prashamsa, kanyaharana, sangrama, vipralambha, vipatti; court scene with restrained palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detail and architectural court setting; poet presenting a prose romance to a patron; margin vignettes of abduction on horseback, disciplined battle ranks, lovers parting at a palace gate, storm/famine calamity; naturalistic textiles and flora."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्यत्र = स्यात् + यत्र; दीर्घ-सन्धि/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 336 (Sahitya-shastra: gadya/prabandha-lakshana); Agni Purana 337 (continuations on kavya-bheda, if present in the recension)
FAQs
It imparts Sahitya-śāstra knowledge: the defining features and typical subject-matter motifs of an expansive prose narrative, including eulogistic openings and standard plot events.
By codifying literary theory (gadya-lakṣaṇa) alongside other disciplines, it shows the Agni Purana functioning as a multi-subject handbook—covering not only ritual and dharma but also aesthetics, composition, and narrative architecture.
Indirectly, it supports dharmic transmission: well-structured prose and exemplary narratives help preserve and communicate moral and spiritual teachings effectively, strengthening śāstra-study and cultural memory.