Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 4
Chapter 338 — शृङ्गारादिरसनिरूपणम्
Exposition of the Rasas beginning with Śṛṅgāra
अभिमानाद्रतिः सा च परिपोषमुपेयुषी व्यभिचार्यादिसामान्यात् शृङ्गार इति गीयते
abhimānādratiḥ sā ca paripoṣamupeyuṣī vyabhicāryādisāmānyāt śṛṅgāra iti gīyate
अभिमान से उत्पन्न वह ‘रति’ जब परिपक्व होकर पूर्ण पोषण को प्राप्त होती है, और व्यभिचारी-भाव आदि के सामान्य संयोग से युक्त होती है, तब वह ‘शृंगार-रस’ कहलाती है।
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Rasa-identification in poetry/drama: diagnose when rati has matured with vyabhicāri-bhāvas to present Śṛṅgāra effectively in composition and performance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Śṛṅgāra-rasa as nourished rati with vyabhicāri-bhāvas","lookup_keywords":["śṛṅgāra","rati","abhimāna","vyabhicāri-bhāva","rasa-siddhānta"],"quick_summary":"Śṛṅgāra is defined as rati (love) arising with abhimāna and becoming fully intensified, supported by transitory emotions; useful as a compositional rule for evoking the erotic sentiment."}
Concept: Aesthetic causality: rati becomes rasa when nourished and accompanied by vyabhicāri-bhāvas; abhimāna functions as a psychological catalyst in love.
Application: For poets/actors: build a stable love-situation (ālambana), add stimulants (uddīpana) and appropriate transitory states (anxiety, longing, jealousy, delight) to ‘nourish’ rati into Śṛṅgāra.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya–rasa and alankara theory)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A refined courtly or garden scene where mutual love (rati) ripens through expressive gestures and fleeting emotions—glances, blush, hesitation—signifying Śṛṅgāra supported by transitory states.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: nayaka-nayika in a palace garden, stylized eyes and gestures, attendants showing subtle vyabhicāri-bhāvas (smile, bashfulness, longing), rich reds/ochres, ornamental foliage.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: divine-court Śṛṅgāra tableau with gold leaf jewelry, couple seated on a swing (dolā), lotus motifs, embossed ornaments emphasizing ‘paripōṣa’ (fullness) of rati.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional depiction of śṛṅgāra components—central couple (ālambana), surrounding icons for vyabhicāri-bhāvas (lālasa, harṣa, īrṣyā), delicate lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate terrace at dusk, lovers exchanging glances, attendants whispering, fine textiles, detailed flora, subtle facial expressions indicating transitory emotions, calligraphic caption ‘Śṛṅgāra’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: abhimānādratiḥ = abhimānāt + ratiḥ; paripoṣamupeyuṣī = paripoṣam + upeyuṣī; vyabhicāryādisāmānyāt = vyabhicāri-ādi-sāmānyāt.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sahitya-shastra chapters on rasa, bhāva, anubhāva, vyabhicāri-bhāva; Agni Purana: Natya-related sections on abhinaya and emotional expression
FAQs
It imparts poetic-technical knowledge (Sāhitya-śāstra): the definition of Śṛṅgāra-rasa as rati (the stable emotion) that matures and is supported by transitory emotions (vyabhicāri-bhāvas).
Beyond myth and ritual, it systematizes classical literary aesthetics—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of rasa/bhāva theory alongside other sciences, making it a compendium of cultural and technical disciplines.
By defining how emotions are refined into rasa, it frames art as a disciplined transformation of human feeling—supporting ethical, cultured enjoyment (sāttvika refinement) rather than uncontrolled passion.