Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 10
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
यया शब्दो निमित्तेन केनचित्सौपचारिकी सा च लाक्षणिकी गौणी लक्षणागुणयोगतः
yayā śabdo nimittena kenacitsaupacārikī sā ca lākṣaṇikī gauṇī lakṣaṇāguṇayogataḥ
La fonction par laquelle un mot, en raison d’un fondement ou motif particulier (nimitta), est employé au figuré est appelée lakṣaṇā, c’est-à-dire signification secondaire. On la nomme aussi gauṇī, car elle opère par le rapport entre le sens indiqué (lakṣaṇā) et une qualité associée (guṇa).
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s poetics/grammar exposition)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Identifying lakṣaṇā (secondary signification) in texts by locating the motivating ground (nimitta) and the quality-based linkage that licenses figurative usage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Lakṣaṇā / Gauṇī: Secondary Signification by Nimitta and Guṇa","lookup_keywords":["lakṣaṇā","gauṇī","nimitta","guṇa-yoga","upacāra"],"quick_summary":"A word used on a particular motivating ground conveys an indicated sense (lakṣaṇā); it is called gauṇī when the transfer is supported by an associated quality (guṇa)."}
Alamkara Type: Lakṣaṇā (gauṇī-vṛtti)
Concept: Non-literal meaning is licensed by a discernible ground and an intelligible linkage (often via shared quality).
Application: In commentary: state the nimitta (why literal fails/why transfer is intended) and specify the guṇa that connects source and target meanings.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Vyakarana & Kavya: Shakti, Abhidha–Lakshana–Vyanjana)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diagrammatic teaching scene: a word (śabda) points to a literal object, but an arrow labeled nimitta redirects to an indicated meaning; a ribbon labeled guṇa connects the two objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic arrows and labeled scrolls (nimitta, guṇa, lakṣaṇā), guru explaining with hand gestures, stylized objects linked by a quality ribbon, warm mineral colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central guru with gold ornamentation, two vignettes of objects connected by a golden band labeled guṇa, inscription-like labels for nimitta and lakṣaṇā, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional schematic with elegant figures, clear Devanagari labels nimitta/guṇa/lakṣaṇā, subtle shading, emphasis on didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar’s study with illustrated marginalia: two objects connected by a fine line (guṇa), annotation cartouches for nimitta and gauṇī, meticulous detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Raga Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kenacitsaupacārikī → kenacit + aupacārikī; lakṣaṇāguṇayogataḥ → lakṣaṇā-guṇa-yogataḥ
Related Themes: Agni Purana 344.9-12 (śabda-śakti and lakṣaṇā taxonomy)
FAQs
It teaches a core semantic doctrine of Sahitya-shastra/Vyakarana: lakṣaṇā (secondary signification), explaining how figurative meaning arises when a word is applied by a motivating ground (nimitta) via association with an attribute (guṇa).
Beyond myth and ritual, the Agni Purana systematizes technical knowledge like Sanskrit semantics and poetics; this verse functions as a formal definition used in kavya interpretation, grammar, and rhetoric.
By clarifying correct meaning-making in sacred and literary speech, it supports disciplined understanding of śāstra and mantra-language, reducing interpretive error and fostering right comprehension (samyag-jñāna) in study and recitation.