Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 27
Chapter 342: शब्दालङ्काराः
Verbal/Sound-based Ornaments
तदङ्गविहिताकाङ्क्षस्तद्गुप्तं गूढमप्यदः यत्रार्थान्तरनिर्भासो वाक्याङ्गच्यवनादिभिः
tadaṅgavihitākāṅkṣastadguptaṃ gūḍhamapyadaḥ yatrārthāntaranirbhāso vākyāṅgacyavanādibhiḥ
જ્યાં વાક્યના કોઈ અંગથી આકાંક્ષા ઊભી થાય છે, પરંતુ અભિપ્રેત અર્થ ગુપ્ત રહે છે, તેને ‘ગૂઢ’ કહે છે. તેમાં વાક્યઅંગોના સ્થાનચ્યુતિ/લોપ વગેરે રચનાત્મક ફેરફારો દ્વારા અન્ય અર્થનો આભાસ (અર્થાંતર-નિર્ભાસ) થાય છે.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Diagnosing and crafting gūḍha (hidden/oblique) expression via syntactic displacement/omission that triggers expectation yet keeps intended sense concealed.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Gūḍha-vākya: ākāṅkṣā and arthāntara-nirbhāsa by vākya-aṅga-cyavana","lookup_keywords":["gūḍha","ākāṅkṣā","arthāntara-nirbhāsa","vākya-aṅga-cyavana","vakrokti"],"quick_summary":"An expression is gūḍha when sentence-structure creates expectation but the intended meaning remains hidden; a different meaning appears due to shifts like displacement/omission of sentence-members."}
Alamkara Type: Vakrokti/Gūḍha (obliqueness via syntactic deviation)
Concept: Meaning is shaped by syntactic expectancy; rearrangement/omission can generate an alternate apparent meaning while hiding the intended one.
Application: In composition: deliberately reorder or omit sentence-members to create controlled ambiguity; in criticism: identify where structural shifts cause arthāntara-nirbhāsa.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara and Vakrokti—poetic suggestion and sentence-structure)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet rearranges sentence tiles on a board; the audience sees a misleading surface meaning while the intended meaning remains hidden behind the syntactic displacement.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, teacher-poet before a wooden board with movable word-panels, one panel displaced, listeners showing wonder, bold outlines, traditional palette, emphasis on the ‘shifted’ vākya-aṅga","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gilded frame, poet in court holding a board of word-panels, one panel removed/shifted, audience reacting to a sudden alternate meaning, gold accents on manuscript and ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic scene with labeled word-panels (vākya-aṅga), arrows showing cyavana (displacement), calm scholarly setting, fine linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, literary salon with a scribe rearranging a couplet strip, subtle humor and surprise on faces, intricate textiles and calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तदङ्गविहिताकाङ्क्षस् = तत्-अङ्ग-विहित-आकाङ्क्षः; तद्गुप्तं = तत्-गुप्तम्; गूढमप्यदः = गूढम् अपि अदः; यत्रार्थान्तरनिर्भासो = यत्र अर्थ-अन्तर-निर्भासः; वाक्याङ्गच्यवनादिभिः = वाक्य-अङ्ग-च्यवन-आदिभिः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 342.26 (śābdī prahelikā); Agni Purana 342.29-30 (datta/cyuta-datta as related meaning-shifts)
FAQs
It imparts kavya-vidya: how “gūḍha” (hidden/oblique expression) is formed when sentence-constituents create expectancy yet conceal the intended meaning, producing an apparent alternate sense through structural shifts like vākyāṅga-cyavana.
By codifying a precise concept from Sanskrit literary theory (semantics and sentence-structure in poetry), it shows the Agni Purana’s scope beyond ritual—preserving technical shastra on rhetoric and interpretation alongside other sciences.
While not a ritual injunction, it refines right understanding (viveka) of sacred and poetic language—supporting accurate interpretation of dharmic texts and cultivating disciplined speech and comprehension, traditionally regarded as purifying intellectual conduct.