Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 10
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
यया शब्दो निमित्तेन केनचित्सौपचारिकी सा च लाक्षणिकी गौणी लक्षणागुणयोगतः
yayā śabdo nimittena kenacitsaupacārikī sā ca lākṣaṇikī gauṇī lakṣaṇāguṇayogataḥ
ಯಾವ ವಿಧಾನದಿಂದ ಶಬ್ದವು ಯಾವುದೋ ವಿಶೇಷ ನಿಮಿತ್ತ/ಆಧಾರದ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ಉಪಚಾರವಾಗಿ (ರೂಪಕವಾಗಿ) ಬಳಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೋ, ಅದನ್ನು ಉಪಚಾರಿಕೀ ‘ಲಕ್ಷಣಿಕೀ’ ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಲಕ್ಷಣಾ–ಗುಣ ಸಂಬಂಧದಿಂದ ಅದೇ ‘ಗೌಣೀ’ ಎಂದೂ ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s poetics/grammar exposition)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Identifying lakṣaṇā (secondary signification) in texts by locating the motivating ground (nimitta) and the quality-based linkage that licenses figurative usage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Lakṣaṇā / Gauṇī: Secondary Signification by Nimitta and Guṇa","lookup_keywords":["lakṣaṇā","gauṇī","nimitta","guṇa-yoga","upacāra"],"quick_summary":"A word used on a particular motivating ground conveys an indicated sense (lakṣaṇā); it is called gauṇī when the transfer is supported by an associated quality (guṇa)."}
Alamkara Type: Lakṣaṇā (gauṇī-vṛtti)
Concept: Non-literal meaning is licensed by a discernible ground and an intelligible linkage (often via shared quality).
Application: In commentary: state the nimitta (why literal fails/why transfer is intended) and specify the guṇa that connects source and target meanings.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Vyakarana & Kavya: Shakti, Abhidha–Lakshana–Vyanjana)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diagrammatic teaching scene: a word (śabda) points to a literal object, but an arrow labeled nimitta redirects to an indicated meaning; a ribbon labeled guṇa connects the two objects.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic arrows and labeled scrolls (nimitta, guṇa, lakṣaṇā), guru explaining with hand gestures, stylized objects linked by a quality ribbon, warm mineral colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central guru with gold ornamentation, two vignettes of objects connected by a golden band labeled guṇa, inscription-like labels for nimitta and lakṣaṇā, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional schematic with elegant figures, clear Devanagari labels nimitta/guṇa/lakṣaṇā, subtle shading, emphasis on didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar’s study with illustrated marginalia: two objects connected by a fine line (guṇa), annotation cartouches for nimitta and gauṇī, meticulous detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Raga Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kenacitsaupacārikī → kenacit + aupacārikī; lakṣaṇāguṇayogataḥ → lakṣaṇā-guṇa-yogataḥ
Related Themes: Agni Purana 344.9-12 (śabda-śakti and lakṣaṇā taxonomy)
FAQs
It teaches a core semantic doctrine of Sahitya-shastra/Vyakarana: lakṣaṇā (secondary signification), explaining how figurative meaning arises when a word is applied by a motivating ground (nimitta) via association with an attribute (guṇa).
Beyond myth and ritual, the Agni Purana systematizes technical knowledge like Sanskrit semantics and poetics; this verse functions as a formal definition used in kavya interpretation, grammar, and rhetoric.
By clarifying correct meaning-making in sacred and literary speech, it supports disciplined understanding of śāstra and mantra-language, reducing interpretive error and fostering right comprehension (samyag-jñāna) in study and recitation.