Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 11
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
तृष्णा स्पृहापिपासे द्वे विपणिः स्याद्वणिक्पथे विषाभिमरलोहेषु तीक्ष्णं क्लीवे खरे त्रिषु
tṛṣṇā spṛhāpipāse dve vipaṇiḥ syādvaṇikpathe viṣābhimaraloheṣu tīkṣṇaṃ klīve khare triṣu
‘തൃഷ്ണാ’യും ‘സ്പൃഹാ’യും പിപാസ/ദാഹം എന്നർത്ഥത്തിലുള്ള രണ്ട് പദങ്ങളാണ്. ‘വിപണി’ വണിക്കരുടെ പാതയെയോ വിപണിയെയോ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. ‘തീക്ഷ്ണ’ നപുംസകത്തിൽ വിഷം, ഇരുമ്പ്, മാർകദ്രവ്യം; പുംലിംഗത്തിൽ ‘ഖര’ അഥവാ കഴുത എന്നർത്ഥം.
Lord Agni (narrating a lexical/grammatical nighaṇṭu section to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Clarifies synonyms for thirst and commercial terminology (market/merchant path), and domain-specific senses of tīkṣṇa—useful for interpreting medical, economic, and descriptive passages.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Synonyms and polysemy: tṛṣṇā/spṛhā; vipaṇi; tīkṣṇa","lookup_keywords":["tṛṣṇā","spṛhā","vipaṇi (market)","tīkṣṇa (poison/iron)","khara (donkey)"],"quick_summary":"States tṛṣṇā and spṛhā as words for thirst; vipaṇi as merchants’ market/path; and tīkṣṇa as ‘poison/iron/killing agent’ (neuter) and ‘donkey’ (masculine), guiding correct grammatical and contextual reading."}
Alamkara Type: Shlesha
Concept: Meaning depends on usage-domain and grammatical markers (liṅga, prakaraṇa).
Application: In commentary and translation, use gender/case and topic (medicine, trade, description) to select the correct sense of tīkṣṇa and spṛhā.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra / Vyakarana-Kosha (Lexicography and Synonyms in Agni Purana)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scholar lists words on a manuscript: tṛṣṇā, spṛhā, vipaṇi, tīkṣṇa; beside it a thirsty traveler reaching for water, a bustling marketplace street of merchants, and objects labeled poison vial and iron blade; a donkey stands to show the masculine sense of tīkṣṇa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized bazaar lane (vipaṇi) with merchants, a parched traveler (tṛṣṇā), a small poison pot and iron implement for tīkṣṇa (neuter), and a donkey for tīkṣṇa (masc.); bold outlines, flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-ornamented marketplace scene with merchants and goods; central thirsty figure with water pot; gilded poison container and iron weapon; donkey rendered with decorative detailing; manuscript motif in corner.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic composition with labeled icons—thirsty person, market street, poison, iron, donkey—arranged around a clean calligraphic panel of the words; soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed bazaar with merchants on a street, a traveler asking for water, a small apothecary jar marked poison, an iron blade on a tray, and a donkey tethered; fine textile patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्वणिक्पथे → स्यात् वणिक्पथे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-śāstra kośa sections on paryāya and nānārtha; Agni Purana Ayurveda passages where tṛṣṇā/pipāsā appears as symptom
FAQs
This verse imparts kośa/nighaṇṭu-vidyā: precise synonymy and grammatical usage—how words like tṛṣṇā/spṛhā function for ‘thirst,’ and how tīkṣṇa changes meaning by gender/context (poison/iron/deadly agent vs. donkey).
By cataloging word-senses and gender-based meanings, the Agni Purana preserves practical linguistic knowledge used in interpretation, poetry, and technical treatises—showing it is not only devotional but also a reference work on Sanskrit semantics.
Its significance is indirect: correct understanding of sacred and technical language supports accurate recitation, interpretation, and teaching of dharma-texts, reducing interpretive error (viparyaya) and supporting right knowledge (samyag-jñāna).