Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 33
Chapter 342: शब्दालङ्काराः
Verbal/Sound-based Ornaments
नियमाच्च विदर्भाच बन्धाच्च भवति त्रिधा कवेः प्रतिज्ञा निर्माणरम्यस्य नियमः स्मृतः
niyamācca vidarbhāca bandhācca bhavati tridhā kaveḥ pratijñā nirmāṇaramyasya niyamaḥ smṛtaḥ
Pratijñā (pernyataan pembuka) seorang penyair ada tiga: lahir dari niyama (aturan), dari gaya Vaidarbhī, dan dari bandha (ikatan metrum/struktur). Inilah ‘niyama’ yang dikenang sebagai asas yang membuat bangunan karya menjadi indah.
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Structuring the opening proposition (pratijñā) of a poem/drama by choosing among rule-based constraint, Vaidarbhī stylistic sweetness, or metrical/structural binding to ensure pleasing construction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pratijñā-bheda (Threefold Opening Proposition)","lookup_keywords":["pratijñā","niyama","vaidarbha","bandha","nirmāṇa-ramya"],"quick_summary":"Lists three sources for a poet’s opening proposition—constraint (niyama), Vaidarbhī style, and structural binding (bandha)—and frames niyama as the governing principle that makes composition pleasingly built."}
Alamkara Type: Rīti-vicāra (Vaidarbhī rīti) and bandha (structural artistry)
Concept: Niyama (constraint) as a creative principle: beauty arises from disciplined construction, not mere spontaneity.
Application: When drafting a work, explicitly choose your governing constraint (theme-rule, stylistic rīti, or formal bandha) and let it control the opening promise to the audience.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-shastra / Alankara)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher of poetics points to three labeled pillars—Niyama, Vaidarbhī, Bandha—showing a student how an opening proposition is formed to make the poem’s construction pleasing.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru and śiṣya in a stylized classroom, three ornate pillars with Sanskrit labels, palm-leaf manuscripts, strong contour lines, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, triadic composition with three gold-embossed panels labeled Niyama/Vaidarbhī/Bandha, central guru holding manuscript, student in reverence, rich reds and greens with gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic instructional scene: three columns and a sample opening verse, fine linework, calm scholarly setting, emphasis on clarity and pedagogy","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary academy, instructor presenting a chart of three categories, students seated with notebooks, architectural arches, delicate detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Raga Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नियमाच्च = नियमात् + च; विदर्भाच = विदर्भात् + च; बन्धाच्च = बन्धात् + च; निर्माणरम्यस्य = निर्माण-रम्यस्य.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 342 (sections on rīti, bandha, śabda-śilpa and vikalpa)
FAQs
It teaches a kavya-technical rule: the poet’s pratijñā (opening thesis/promise) is classified into three types based on niyama (constraint), Vaidarbhī rīti (style), and bandha (formal/metre-structure), guiding how to begin a well-formed composition.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana codifies Sahitya-shastra: it preserves terminology and classification used in Sanskrit literary theory (rīti, bandha, niyama), showing the Purana’s role as a compendium of arts and sciences.
By prescribing disciplined, orderly speech (niyama) and refined expression (rīti), it supports the dharmic ideal that well-structured, truthful, and beautiful language is a form of right conduct (vāṅmaya-śuddhi) and aids merit through edifying literature.