Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 6
काव्यगुणविवेकः
Examination of the Qualities of Poetry
सत्येव यौगिकी चेति गुणाः शब्दस्य सप्तधा सुश्लिष्टसन्निवेशत्वं शब्दानां श्लेष उच्यते
satyeva yaugikī ceti guṇāḥ śabdasya saptadhā suśliṣṭasanniveśatvaṃ śabdānāṃ śleṣa ucyate
La « véracité » et la « convenance étymologique (dérivative) »—ainsi, les qualités des mots sont au nombre de sept. L’agencement des mots, étroitement lié et solidement imbriqué, est appelé śleṣa (paronomase/jeu de mots).
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Diagnose and craft śleṣa (punning/paronomasia) by tightening word-joining and exploiting multi-meaning phonetic strings while maintaining accepted word-qualities (guṇa) like satya and yaugikī.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Śleṣa as close-knit word-arrangement; word-qualities (guṇa) sevenfold","lookup_keywords":["śleṣa","guṇa","satya","yaugikī","śabda-guṇa"],"quick_summary":"Śleṣa is defined as a well-interlocked, compact arrangement of words enabling layered meaning. Word-qualities are taught as sevenfold, with satya (truthfulness) and yaugikī (derivative/etymological fitness) explicitly noted."}
Alamkara Type: Śleṣa (paronomasia/pun)
Concept: Speech must be both truthful (satya) and etymologically/derivationally apt (yaugikī) even when ornamented by śleṣa.
Application: In composition and commentary, verify that each reading of a pun remains semantically and etymologically defensible, not merely clever.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara/Kavya-vidya: Sanskrit poetics and rhetoric)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned poet-scholar demonstrates śleṣa by arranging palm-leaf manuscript lines so that the same string of words yields two meanings; the words appear visually interlocked like a woven braid.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, scholar-poet seated with palm-leaf manuscript and stylus, Sanskrit words painted as intertwined garlands symbolizing śleṣa, warm earthy palette, traditional borders, serene classroom ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central seated vidvān with manuscript, gold-leaf highlights on intertwined word-garlands representing śleṣa, ornate arch frame, rich reds and greens, devotional-academic mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional scene of a teacher pointing to two glosses of the same line, clean linework, soft shading, labeled Sanskrit terms ‘satya’, ‘yaugikī’, ‘śleṣa’, classroom setting with students","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary salon with poet presenting a couplet that reads two ways, delicate calligraphy panels showing the double meanings, fine textiles, detailed faces, subdued jewel tones"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Saraswati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: satya+eva→satyeva; ca+iti→ceti; suśliṣṭa+sanniveśatvam kept as compound सुश्लिष्टसन्निवेशत्वम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra sections on śabda-guṇa and śabda-alaṅkāra (same khanda around 345); Agni Purana definitions of alaṅkāras preceding/following this verse
FAQs
It imparts kavya-vidya (Sahitya-shastra): it classifies word-qualities (śabda-guṇa) and defines śleṣa as the tightly interwoven arrangement of words enabling punning/double-meaning.
By preserving technical literary theory—definitions of śabda-guṇas and alankāras—alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences, the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of multiple disciplines.
Mastery of refined, truthful, and well-formed speech is treated as a dharmic discipline: it supports right teaching, accurate praise (stuti), and ethically effective communication, thereby aiding merit through righteous expression.