Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 10
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
मौर्व्यां द्रव्याश्रिते सत्वशुक्लसन्ध्यादिके गुणः श्रेष्ठे ऽधिपे ग्रामणीः स्यात् जुग्प्साकरुणे घृणे
maurvyāṃ dravyāśrite satvaśuklasandhyādike guṇaḥ śreṣṭhe 'dhipe grāmaṇīḥ syāt jugpsākaruṇe ghṛṇe
« Guṇa » désigne : (i) une corde d’arc faite de fibre de mūrvā ; (ii) une qualité dépendant d’une substance (attribut inhérent à la matière) ; (iii) sattva (bonté/être pur) ; (iv) la blancheur ; et (v) le crépuscule et autres états semblables. Il signifie aussi « l’excellent/le meilleur », « seigneur/suzerain » et « chef de village » (grāmaṇī). « Ghṛṇā » signifie le dégoût et la compassion.
Lord Agni (traditional framing: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Lexical clarification of ‘guṇa’ across domains (archery equipment, metaphysics, color/time, excellence, rulership) and ‘ghṛṇā’ as emotional terms—useful for commentators, poets, and technical writers.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Polysemy list: guṇa; ghṛṇā","lookup_keywords":["guṇa (bowstring)","guṇa (property)","sattva-guṇa","sandhyā (twilight)","ghṛṇā (disgust/compassion)"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates senses of guṇa from bowstring to attribute/quality, sattva, whiteness, twilight, excellence, lordship, and village headman; defines ghṛṇā as both disgust and compassion depending on context."}
Alamkara Type: Shlesha
Weapon Type: Bow
Concept: Guṇa as ‘quality/attribute’ inhering in dravya (substance) and as sattva—bridging linguistic and philosophical usage.
Application: Helps distinguish guṇa as physical component (bowstring) vs ontological category (quality) vs ethical-metaphysical sense (sattva) in interpretation and teaching.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Lexicography / Synonyms and Nighaṇṭu-style semantic lists)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lexicon teacher demonstrates the word ‘guṇa’ with a bow and bowstring, a chalkboard-like diagram showing ‘dravya–guṇa’, a white cloth for ‘śukla’, a twilight horizon for ‘sandhyā’, and a village headman seated in council; two facial expressions depict ghṛṇā as disgust and as compassion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: central archer holding bow with prominent bowstring labeled guṇa; side panels with philosophical diagram dravya/guṇa, a white lotus cloth, and a sunset twilight band; village headman with staff; expressive faces for ghṛṇā; earthy reds/ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gilded bow and string, ornate philosophical emblem, gold-highlighted twilight sky; village leader with jewelry; two small medallions showing ghṛṇā (aversion) and ghṛṇā (karuṇā) with gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional plate: labeled parts of bow (māurvī bowstring = guṇa), plus neat icons for quality, sattva, whiteness, twilight, excellence, overlord, grāmaṇī; minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: atelier scene with scholar, an archer’s equipment on carpet, a sunset terrace view, and a village council; subtle facial studies for disgust and compassion; fine borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रेष्ठेऽधिपे → श्रेष्ठे अधिपे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-śāstra kośa sections on polysemy; Agni Purana Dhanurveda sections on bow parts and materials
FAQs
It teaches nānārtha (polysemy): how key terms like “guṇa” shift meaning across disciplines—weaponry (bowstring), philosophy (quality/sattva), and polity (lord, grāmaṇī).
By cataloguing multiple domain-specific senses of a single Sanskrit term, it functions like a compact dictionary entry—supporting interpretation across Dhanurveda, Sāṅkhya-style guṇa theory, and governance vocabulary.
Correct semantic understanding safeguards accurate recitation, interpretation, and application of dharma-knowledge; clarity of meaning is treated as a purifier of study and a support for right action.