Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 14
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
श्रूतेरलभ्यमानो ऽर्थो यस्माद्भाति सचेतनः स आक्षेपो धनिः स्याच्च ध्वनिना व्यज्यते यतः
śrūteralabhyamāno 'rtho yasmādbhāti sacetanaḥ sa ākṣepo dhaniḥ syācca dhvaninā vyajyate yataḥ
जो अर्थ सुने हुए शब्दों से सीधे नहीं मिलता, परन्तु संवेदनशील बुद्धिमान पाठक के मन में प्रकट हो जाता है, उसे ‘आक्षेप’ कहते हैं; वह ध्वनि/व्यञ्जना द्वारा सूचित होकर प्रकट होता है, इसलिए उसे ‘धनि’ (ध्वनि का एक भेद) कहा गया है।
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Training readers and poets to detect suggested (vyaṅgya) meaning beyond literal/expressed sense, crucial for interpretation, critique, and composition of dhvani-centered poetry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ākṣepa as Dhani (Dhvani via Vyañjanā)","lookup_keywords":["ākṣepa","dhvani","dhani","vyañjanā","vyaṅgyārtha"],"quick_summary":"A meaning not directly obtained from the heard words but flashing forth to a sensitive reader is termed ākṣepa and classified as dhani, because it is revealed by suggestion (vyañjanā)."}
Alamkara Type: Ākṣepa (as dhvani/dhani)
Concept: Knowledge can be manifested (bhāti) beyond direct verbal apprehension; cognition includes implied layers accessible to refined awareness.
Application: Hermeneutics: interpret texts by attending to implied intent and contextual resonance, not only literal wording.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra: Dhvani and Alankara theory)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned poet-teacher points to a written verse while a sensitive student perceives a luminous, unspoken meaning rising behind the words, symbolized as a subtle glow or echo.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, guru and śiṣya seated on a wooden platform with palm-leaf manuscript, soft ochres and greens, a faint halo-like wave behind the written words indicating dhvani, traditional ornaments, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central seated ācārya holding palm-leaf, student with folded hands, embossed gold leaf around a stylized aura representing suggested meaning, rich reds and greens, temple interior motifs","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional scene with manuscript and stylus, subtle translucent overlay behind the text to show implied meaning, delicate pastel palette, minimal background architecture","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary salon, poet reciting while a listener’s face shows sudden comprehension, thin gold margins, detailed textiles, a faint painted ‘sound-wave’ motif behind the calligraphy to signify dhvani"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रूतेर्+अलभ्यमानः→श्रूतेरलभ्यमानः; अलभ्यमानः+अर्थः→अलभ्यमानोऽर्थः; यस्मात्+भाति→यस्माद्भाति; स्याच्+च→स्याच्च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 343 (Sahitya-shastra preliminaries); Agni Purana 344 (Dhvani/Alankara definitions)
FAQs
It imparts kāvya-śāstra (poetics) knowledge: the technical definition of ā-kṣepa as a dhvani-based figure where the intended meaning is grasped by suggestion rather than direct word-meaning.
By formally defining a concept from Sanskrit literary theory (dhvani/vyañjanā and ā-kṣepa), the Agni Purana demonstrates its scope beyond ritual and mythology into systematic arts and sciences, including aesthetics and semantics.
Indirectly, it trains refined comprehension (sacetana/sahrdaya-buddhi): discerning suggested meanings supports deeper engagement with sacred and poetic speech, fostering contemplative sensitivity rather than mere literalism.