Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 28
Discrimination of the Qualities of Poetry (Kāvya-guṇa-viveka) — Closing Verse/Colophon Transition
अनुप्रासे पदावृत्तिर्व्यस्तसम्बन्धता शुभा नार्थसंग्रहणे दोषो व्युत्क्रमाद्यैर् न लिप्यते
anuprāse padāvṛttirvyastasambandhatā śubhā nārthasaṃgrahaṇe doṣo vyutkramādyair na lipyate
ಅನುಪ್ರಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಪದಗಳ ಪುನರಾವೃತ್ತಿ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತ; ವ್ಯಸ್ತ (ತಿರುವು) ಸಂಬಂಧತೆಯೂ ಶೋಭಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಉದ್ದಿಷ್ಟಾರ್ಥಗ್ರಹಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇವಲ ವ್ಯುತ್ಕ್ರಮಾದಿ ವಿನ್ಯಾಸಗಳಿಂದ ದೋಷವನ್ನು ಆರೋಪಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vashistha in encyclopedic topics, here kavya-shastra)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Compose anuprāsa (alliteration) effectively by allowing tasteful word-recurrence and flexible syntactic arrangement (vyasta-sambandha) without treating inversion as a fault when meaning remains clear.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Anuprāsa: Word-recurrence and permissible inversion","lookup_keywords":["anuprāsa","padāvṛtti","vyasta-sambandha","vyutkrama","doṣa-abhāva"],"quick_summary":"In alliteration, repeating words/sounds can be a virtue; even inverted syntactic linkage may be aesthetically pleasing, and inversion is not a fault if sense-communication is intact."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa
Concept: Aesthetic success can override rigid linear syntax; clarity of artha is the deciding criterion for faultlessness.
Application: In kāvya composition and critique, judge inversion by intelligibility and charm, not by mere departure from prose order.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara and Kavya-lakshana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet in a court recites an alliterative verse; listeners enjoy the repeated sounds while a grammarian notes that the inverted word order still conveys meaning clearly.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal sabhā with poet holding palm-leaf, sound-wave motifs around repeated syllables, attentive audience, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, poet and patron with gold halo-like ornamentation around syllables, stylized script ribbon showing repeated consonants, rich textiles","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional panel showing two word orders (straight vs inverted) both acceptable, alongside a highlighted anuprāsa pattern, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature court scene, poet reciting, connoisseurs reacting, marginal notes showing repeated phonemes, intricate architectural backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पदावृत्तिः + व्यस्तसम्बन्धता → पदावृत्तिर्व्यस्तसम्बन्धता; न + अर्थसंग्रहणे → नार्थसंग्रहणे; व्युत्क्रमाद्यैः (आदि + ऐः); आद्यैः + न → आद्यैर् न (रेफ-संधि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 346 (alaṅkāra-lakṣaṇa and doṣa-guṇa)
FAQs
It teaches a kavya-shastra rule: in anuprāsa (alliteration/phonetic ornament), word-repetition and even inverted syntax (vyasta-sambandha, vyutkrama) can be acceptable and are not counted as poetic faults if the intended meaning is still properly conveyed.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana systematizes secular sciences; here it codifies Sanskrit literary theory (alankara and dosha-nirnaya), showing the text’s coverage of aesthetics and composition alongside dharma, polity, medicine, and other disciplines.
By guiding correct and effective sacred/literary expression, it supports dharmic speech and teaching: ornamentation is encouraged when it clarifies or enhances meaning, avoiding confusion—thus aligning eloquence with right communication (satya-hita-vacana).