Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 5
Arthālaṅkāras (Ornaments of Meaning): Definitions, Taxonomy, and the Centrality of Upamā
विधुरेवेति ख , ट च सादृश्यं धर्मसामान्यमुपमा रूपकं तथा महोक्त्यर्थान्तरन्यासाविति स्यात्तु चतुर्विधम्
vidhureveti kha , ṭa ca sādṛśyaṃ dharmasāmānyamupamā rūpakaṃ tathā mahoktyarthāntaranyāsāviti syāttu caturvidham
“Vidhureveti” dan seterusnya. Upamā (perumpamaan) ada empat: (1) kemiripan (sādṛśya), (2) kesamaan sifat (dharma-sāmānya), (3) metafora (rūpaka), dan (4) mahokti serta arthāntaranyāsa.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard frame)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विधुरेवेति→विधुरा इव इति; धर्मसामान्यमुपमा→धर्मसामान्यम् उपमा; महोक्त्यर्थान्तरन्यासाविति→महाउक्ति अर्थान्तरन्यासौ इति (द्विवचन); स्यात्तु→स्यात् तु
FAQs
It teaches a technical kavya-śāstra classification: simile (upamā) is analyzed into four modes—resemblance, shared attribute, metaphorical identification (rūpaka), and the related explanatory styles of hyperbole (mahokti) and arthāntaranyāsa (support by an additional maxim/statement).
Beyond ritual and dharma topics, the Agni Purāṇa preserves formal Sanskrit literary theory (alaṅkāra-śāstra), showing it functions as a compendium that also codifies aesthetics and rhetoric used in classical poetry and discourse.
While not a ritual injunction, it supports dharmic communication: mastering precise, persuasive, and tasteful expression is treated in Indian tradition as a means to convey śāstra correctly and uphold right understanding (samyag-jñāna) through refined speech.