Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 18
Nāṭaka-nirūpaṇam
Exposition of Drama / Dramatic Genres and Plot-Structure
सिद्धमुत्प्रेक्षितञ्चेति तस्य भेदाबुभौ स्मृतौ सिद्धमागमदृष्टञ्च सृष्टमुत्प्रेक्षितं कवेः
siddhamutprekṣitañceti tasya bhedābubhau smṛtau siddhamāgamadṛṣṭañca sṛṣṭamutprekṣitaṃ kaveḥ
Sus dos divisiones se recuerdan tradicionalmente como ‘siddha’ y ‘utprekṣita’. ‘Siddha’ es lo que se ve en el āgama (la tradición recibida), mientras que ‘utprekṣita’ es lo que el poeta crea (sṛṣṭa) con su imaginación.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha) — standard Agni Purana dialogue frame for śāstra sections
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Classify poetic material for composition and critique: distinguish siddha (tradition-attested) content from utprekṣita (imaginatively created) content, guiding adaptation, originality, and audience expectation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Siddha and Utprekṣita (Traditional vs Imaginative Composition)","lookup_keywords":["siddha","utprekṣita","āgama-dṛṣṭa","kavi-kalpanā","kāvya-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Defines two divisions: siddha—seen/authorized in tradition (āgama), and utprekṣita—created by the poet’s imagination; helps poets balance canonical material with creative invention."}
Alamkara Type: Utprekṣā
Concept: Epistemic distinction in art: āgama-based authority versus kavi’s creative sṛṣṭi.
Application: When adapting Purāṇic/Itihāsa themes, mark what must remain siddha (canonical) and where utprekṣita invention is permissible for rasa and narrative economy.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya and Poetics: classifications of poetic composition)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet seated with palm-leaf manuscripts labeled āgama (siddha) on one side and a blank leaf transforming into vivid imagined scenes (utprekṣita) on the other, showing tradition and invention.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, poet-sage with stylus, two panels: left shows sacred manuscripts and canonical scenes, right shows fantastical imagery emerging like clouds, bold colors and stylized forms.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, poet with ornate throne-like seat, gold-highlighted manuscripts (siddha) and a radiant imaginative vision (utprekṣita) with gold aura, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined scholar-poet writing, clearly separated sections labeled siddha/utprekṣita, gentle gradients, didactic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier scene: poet with manuscripts and inkpot, one page depicting traditional myth, another showing imaginative fantasy, detailed textiles and delicate faces."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सिद्धमुत्प्रेक्षितञ्चेति = सिद्धम् + उत्प्रेक्षितम् + च + इति; भेदाबुभौ = भेदौ + उभौ; सिद्धमागमदृष्टञ्च = सिद्धम् + आगमदृष्टम् + च; सृष्टमुत्प्रेक्षितं = सृष्टम् + उत्प्रेक्षितम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 337 (kāvya classifications and dramaturgy)
FAQs
It teaches a technical kavya-śāstra distinction: poetic material is either siddha (already established/attested in authoritative tradition) or utprekṣita (imaginatively created by the poet).
By including a precise taxonomy from Sanskrit poetics—alongside ritual, law, and other sciences—the Agni Purana functions as a compendium that preserves specialized scholarly frameworks (here, literary theory) within a Purāṇic text.
It implicitly guides dharmic speech and composition: aligning expression with āgama is ‘siddha’ (authoritatively grounded), while imaginative creation is permitted as ‘utprekṣita’ when shaped by poetic discipline—supporting truthful, refined, and culturally sanctioned discourse.