Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 6
अश्ववाहनसारः
Aśvavāhana-sāra) — Essentials of Horses as Mounts (and Horse-Treatment
स वाह्यते हयेनैव पृष्ठस्थः कटिकां विनाअप्_२८७००६अब्छन्दं विज्ञापयेत् कोपि सकृती धीमतां वरः
sa vāhyate hayenaiva pṛṣṭhasthaḥ kaṭikāṃ vināap_287006abchandaṃ vijñāpayet kopi sakṛtī dhīmatāṃ varaḥ
Il n’est porté que par un cheval, assis sur son dos sans selle ; de même, quelque personne compétente—la meilleure parmi les intelligents—peut, d’un seul coup, faire connaître le mètre (chandas), c’est‑à‑dire l’identifier et l’expliquer correctement.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in encyclopedic disciplines)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Prosody pedagogy: a skilled teacher can identify and explain chandas swiftly, even with minimal external aids—like riding bareback without a saddle.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Chandas-jñāna: Immediate recognition of metre by the skilled","lookup_keywords":["chandas","prosody","meter identification","kavi","sahitya-shastra"],"quick_summary":"Just as a rider can be carried by a horse even without a saddle, an accomplished intellect can quickly recognize and elucidate a metre. The verse praises mastery that does not depend on props."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: True expertise is internalized; it functions even when external supports are absent.
Application: Train in chandas by repeated scansion and gaṇa-recognition so identification becomes immediate in recitation and composition.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas / Prosody)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A confident rider sits bareback on a horse; beside him, a learned poet-teacher points to a palm-leaf manuscript, instantly identifying the metre as students listen.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized horse and bareback rider, a guru with palm-leaf manuscript teaching chandas to seated disciples, bold outlines, warm palette, decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf on the manuscript and ornaments, central guru-figure as ‘dhīmatāṃ varaḥ’, students in reverent poses, horse motif to one side, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined faces and gentle shading, classroom-like scene with palm-leaf folios, guru demonstrating laghu-guru counts with hand gestures, horse and rider as visual simile.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed equestrian figure without saddle, scholars in a garden pavilion with manuscripts, fine calligraphic border, meticulous textiles and horse tack (minimal saddle)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: hayenaiva = hayena eva; vināap... treated as vinā + (editorial marker removed); kopi = kaḥ api. The token 'ap_287006ab' appears to be an editorial/ID artifact and is excluded from pada analysis.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sahitya/Chandas prakaraṇa on gaṇas, mātrā, and vṛtta-jāti distinctions
FAQs
Chandas-vidyā: the practical skill of recognizing and explaining a Sanskrit metre accurately—so clearly that a competent expert can identify it immediately.
It shows the text treating Sahitya-shastra (prosody) as a formal discipline alongside other sciences, presenting technical literacy (metre-identification) as an expertise within the Purana’s broad curriculum.
Correct knowledge of chandas supports accurate recitation and preservation of śāstra; in a Purāṇic frame, such precision is a form of dharma that safeguards sacred speech and its intended meaning.