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
‘સત્યતા’ અને ‘યૌગિક (વ્યૂત્પત્તિજન્ય) યોગ્યતા’—આ રીતે શબ્દના ગુણ સાત પ્રકારના કહેવાયા છે. શબ્દોની સુશ્લિષ્ટ, પરસ્પર ગૂંથાયેલી ગોઠવણીને ‘શ્લેષ’ કહે છે.
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.