Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 2
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
आनकः पटहो भेरी कलङ्को ऽङ्कापवादयोः मारुते वेधसि व्रध्ने पुंसि कः कं शिरो ऽम्बुनोः
ānakaḥ paṭaho bherī kalaṅko 'ṅkāpavādayoḥ mārute vedhasi vradhne puṃsi kaḥ kaṃ śiro 'mbunoḥ
« Ānaka » signifie un tambour-chaudron (kettle-drum) ; « paṭaha » et « bherī » sont des tambours. « Kalaṅka » désigne à la fois une “tache/défaut” et une “calomnie/reproche”. « Ka » s’emploie pour Vāyu (le Vent), pour Vedhas (le Créateur), pour Vṛdhna, et aussi pour un homme ; « kam » signifie la tête, et signifie aussi l’eau.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) to Sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Understanding synonymy and polysemy for accurate diction in poetry, drama, and commentary; selecting culturally correct terms for instruments and abstract notions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nānārtha/Synonym entries: ānaka, paṭaha, bherī; kalaṅka; ka/kam","lookup_keywords":["ānaka","paṭaha","bherī","kalaṅka","ka kam"],"quick_summary":"Gives lexicon-style meanings: ānaka/paṭaha/bherī as drums; kalaṅka as stain or slander; ka as names for Vāyu/Brahmā/Vṛdhna/man; kam as head or water—requiring context to choose correctly."}
Alamkara Type: Shlesha
Concept: Śabda-bheda and artha-bheda: one phonetic form can map to distinct referents (deity, element, object, abstraction).
Application: Aids performers and poets in choosing terms that fit scene, rasa, and audience understanding; supports precise glossing in manuscripts.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Lexicography / Nighaṇṭu-style Synonyms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lexicon tableau: three drums (ānaka, paṭaha, bherī) displayed; a cloth with a stain and a figure whispering slander (kalaṅka); symbols for Vāyu and Brahmā labeled ‘ka’; a head and a water-pot labeled ‘kam’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized percussion instruments in a row, symbolic stain motif and gossiping figures, Vāyu as wind-swirls and Brahmā seated on lotus, head and water vessel icons, labeled in Devanagari.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-highlighted drums and ritual procession feel, central inscription panel for kalaṅka/ka/kam, rich ornamentation and clear icon-symbols.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic labeled objects with fine outlines: drums, stain vs slander vignette, deity/element symbols for ka, head and water for kam, classroom setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of musicians with drums, a court scene of accusation (slander), allegorical wind and creator figure, still-life of head-helmet and water ewer, meticulous detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"scholarly","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कलङ्को 'ङ्कापवादयोः → कलङ्कः अङ्क-अपवादयोः (विसर्ग/अवग्रह); शिरो 'म्बुनोः → शिरः अम्बुनोः (विसर्ग/अवग्रह).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 362 (Nānārtha-varga continuation)
FAQs
This verse imparts lexical-technical knowledge (śabda-vidyā): it lists established meanings of polysemous Sanskrit words (e.g., ka, kam, kalaṅka) and identifies drum-terms (ānaka, paṭaha, bherī) used in ritual, royal, and martial contexts.
By preserving nighaṇṭu-style semantic lists, the Agni Purana functions as a compact reference work: alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and warfare, it also codifies linguistic usage needed for interpreting scriptures, composing kāvya, and understanding technical terminology.
Accurate word-knowledge supports correct recitation, comprehension, and teaching of dharma-texts; in the Purāṇic frame, right understanding (samyag-jñāna) reduces interpretive error in mantra, śāstra-study, and religious instruction.