Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Chapter 229 — शकुनानि (Śakuna: Omens)
एहीति पुरतः शब्दः शस्यते न तु पृष्ठतः गच्छेति पश्चाच्छब्दो ऽग्र्यः पुरस्तात्तु विगर्हितः
ehīti purataḥ śabdaḥ śasyate na tu pṛṣṭhataḥ gaccheti paścācchabdo 'gryaḥ purastāttu vigarhitaḥ
ಮುಂದಿರುವವನಿಗೆ ‘ಏಹೀತಿ’ (ಬಾ) ಎಂಬ ಪದ ಶ್ಲಾಘನೀಯ; ಹಿಂದೆ ಇರುವವನಿಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಹಿಂದೆ ಇರುವವನಿಗೆ ‘ಗಚ್ಛ’ (ಹೋಗು) ಎಂಬುದೇ ಯುಕ್ತ; ಆದರೆ ಮುಂದಿರುವವನಿಗೆ ‘ಹೋಗು’ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ನಿಂದನೀಯ.
Lord Agni (instructional narration in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic sections on language/poetics)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Guidance for context-appropriate address (yogyatā) in dialogue—choosing verbs like “come/go” according to spatial relation to avoid impropriety in speech.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Yogyatā in Śabda-prayoga: Proper use of “ehi/gaccha”","lookup_keywords":["śabda-prayoga","yogyatā","ehi","gaccha","ucita-vākya"],"quick_summary":"Use “ehi/come” for someone in front (within one’s forward address) and “gaccha/go” for someone behind; reversing these is censured as improper usage."}
Concept: Aucitya (contextual propriety) as a criterion of correct speech and refined conduct.
Application: In teaching, courtly speech, drama, and daily conversation, align utterance with situation (deśa-kāla-pātra) to avoid doṣa (fault).
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Grammar & Usage: Shabda-prayoga and propriety in speech)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher instructs a student on correct address: one person stands in front and another behind; speech bubbles show “ehi” directed forward and “gaccha” directed backward, with the incorrect pair marked as censured.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, gurukula veranda, acharya with palm-leaf manuscript teaching two disciples positioned front and back, subtle hand gestures indicating direction, Sanskrit words ‘एहि’ and ‘गच्छ’ in decorative script, earthy reds and greens, temple-mural flat shading.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated acharya with halo-like aureole, gold-leaf accents on manuscript and borders, two disciples placed foreground and background to show spatial propriety, inscriptions ‘एहि’ (front) and ‘गच्छ’ (back), rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft washes, instructional diagram-like composition with arrows indicating front/back, acharya pointing, minimal background, legible Devanagari labels for correct/incorrect usage.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly classroom scene with precise perspective, teacher and students in patterned textiles, directional cues via gestures, calligraphic cartouches containing ‘एहि’ and ‘गच्छ’, fine detailing and muted palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एहीति = एहि + इति; गच्छेति = गच्छ + इति; पश्चाच्छब्दः = पश्चात् + शब्दः (त् + श → च्छ); शब्दोऽग्र्यः = शब्दः + अग्र्यः (visarga sandhi); पुरस्तात्तु = पुरस्तात् + तु (त् + त → त्त).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 229 (Sāhitya-śāstra: śabda-doṣa/aucitya context)
FAQs
It teaches shabda-prayoga (technical propriety in word-choice): use “ehi/come” for someone ahead, and “gaccha/go” for someone behind; reversing the context is considered improper.
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also codifies practical norms of cultured speech and literary-grammatical correctness, showing its coverage of language sciences (sahitya/grammar) alongside other disciplines.
Cultivating correct and considerate speech is treated as a form of dharmic discipline: precise, context-appropriate words reduce offense and promote social harmony, supporting punya through right conduct (sadācāra).