Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 23
Arthālaṅkāras (Ornaments of Meaning): Definitions, Taxonomy, and the Centrality of Upamā
उपमैव तिरोभूतभेदा रूपकमेव वा सहोक्तिः सहभावेन कथनं तुल्यधर्मिणां
upamaiva tirobhūtabhedā rūpakameva vā sahoktiḥ sahabhāvena kathanaṃ tulyadharmiṇāṃ
તુલ્યધર્મી વસ્તુઓનું સહભાવથી (એકસાથે હાજરીરૂપે) સંયુક્ત કથન ‘સહોક્તિ’ છે; તે ભેદ ઢંકાયેલ ઉપમા અથવા રૂપક પણ હોઈ શકે છે।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Using sahokti to depict simultaneous co-presence of similar-attribute entities; helpful in scene-setting, paired actions, and coordinated imagery in poetry and drama.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Sahokti—conjoint statement of similar-attribute entities","lookup_keywords":["sahokti","sahabhāva","tulya-dharmin","upamā","rūpaka"],"quick_summary":"Sahokti is the conjoint utterance of things sharing similar attributes in a mode of simultaneity; it can resemble an upamā with blurred distinction or function like a rūpaka."}
Alamkara Type: Sahokti
Concept: Meaning can be intensified by coordinated presentation of parallel entities, producing a unified cognitive field.
Application: In composition, place two similar-attribute subjects in one syntactic frame to convey harmony, simultaneity, or mutual illumination; in critique, identify whether the verse relies on sahabhāva rather than explicit comparison.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara-shastra / Sanskrit Poetics)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two parallel subjects (e.g., moon and lotus, or king and lion) shown acting simultaneously, with a single caption line binding them together to illustrate sahabhāva-kathana.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, paired motifs (moon and lotus) rendered in flat iconic style, a single flowing banner of text uniting both, guru explaining sahokti, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on paired symbols, symmetrical composition showing two entities in synchronized posture, central inscription band indicating conjoint statement","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined instructional scene with two side-by-side figures and a shared sentence ribbon, emphasis on symmetry and clarity, soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, elegant garden scene with two coordinated elements (moonlit sky and blooming lotus pond) depicted together, calligraphic cartouche explaining sahokti"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उपमैव = उपमा + एव; रूपकमेव = रूपकम् + एव. तिरोभूतभेदा treated as a compound adjective qualifying upamā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 343.22 (rūpaka definition); Agni Purana 343.21 (upamā types)
FAQs
It imparts kavya-śāstra knowledge: the technical definition of the figure of speech ‘sahokti’—a joint, simultaneous description of similar-attribute entities, bordering on simile (upamā) or metaphor (rūpaka) when distinctions fade.
By formally defining an alaṅkāra (rhetorical ornament), the Agni Purana extends beyond myth and ritual into systematic literary theory, showing its encyclopedic coverage of arts, language, and aesthetics alongside dharma and worship.
While not a ritual injunction, mastering such śāstric distinctions supports right speech (vāṅmaya-saṃskāra) and refined expression, traditionally valued as a sattvic discipline that aids clarity, learning, and the transmission of dharma.