Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 29
Chapter 360 — अव्ययवर्गाः
Groups of Indeclinables
अकामानुमतौ काममसूयोपगमे ऽस्तु च ननु च स्याद्विरोधोक्तौ कच्चित् कामप्रवेदने
akāmānumatau kāmamasūyopagame 'stu ca nanu ca syādvirodhoktau kaccit kāmapravedane
欲なき同意という文脈において、しかも「欲があれ」と言い、また嫉妬のないところでは「そのようであれ」と言う。しかし—この言明は矛盾となるのではないか—とりわけ意図（kāma）が明示されている場合には。
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s didactic discourse on śāstra topics)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Detecting and resolving semantic tension/contradiction (virodha) in poetic statements—especially around intention (kāma) and implied meaning.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Virodha-prasaṅga in kāma-pravēdana (explicit disclosure of intention)","lookup_keywords":["akāma-anumati","asūyā","nanu","virodha","kāma-pravēdana"],"quick_summary":"When a statement asserts desire where there is consent without desire, or asserts absence of jealousy, the speaker may invite scrutiny: ‘nanu’ flags a possible contradiction, especially when intention is being openly revealed."}
Alamkara Type: Virodha (apparent contradiction) / Arthāpatti-driven resolution
Concept: Consistency of intention and utterance: when kāma (intention/desire) is disclosed, statements must be checked for internal coherence; rhetorical particles can signal doubt and invite reconciliation.
Application: In literary criticism or translation, treat ‘nanu/kaccit’ as cues of speaker’s self-check or interlocutor challenge; interpret the passage as deliberate ‘apparent contradiction’ resolved by context (e.g., social consent vs inner desire).
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-nyaya / rhetorical and semantic analysis)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poetic dialogue scene: two lovers or a heroine and confidante; one speaks with a questioning gesture (‘nanu?’), revealing intention while the other notes the contradiction between words and feelings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized nāyikā-nāyaka in palace interior, expressive hand mudrās for questioning, inscriptions of ‘nanu’ near speech scroll, bold outlines and flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly adorned heroine with gold jewelry, companion beside her, speech-scroll motif indicating ‘nanu’, ornate interior with gold highlights emphasizing śṛṅgāra mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined faces and subtle expressions, instructional caption-like placement of particles ‘astu/nanu/kaccit’, gentle palette focusing on semantic tension in dialogue.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate chamber scene, delicate textiles, one figure raising eyebrow/hand in rhetorical challenge, calligraphic cartouche with ‘nanu’, nuanced emotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: asūyopagame 'stu = asūyā-upagame + astu; syādvirodhoktau = syāt + virodhoktau (t/d sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 360 (sāhitya-śāstra: nyāya, artha-nirṇaya, particles in dialogue)
FAQs
It imparts a poetics/semantic principle: an utterance becomes faulty when it simultaneously asserts mutually incompatible conditions (virodha), illustrated through statements about desire (kāma), consent (anumati), and jealousy (asūyā).
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa includes śāstra on literature and rhetoric; this verse shows it teaching technical kavya-nyāya—how to detect contradiction and incoherence in refined Sanskrit expression.
By training speech and writing to avoid contradiction and misleading intent, it supports satya (truthfulness) and clarity—qualities praised in dharma—thereby reducing harm caused by deceptive or confused expression.