Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 34
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
यमानिलेन्द्रचन्द्रार्कविष्णुसिंहादिके हरिः दरो ऽस्त्रियां भये श्वभ्रे जठरः कठिने ऽपि च
yamānilendracandrārkaviṣṇusiṃhādike hariḥ daro 'striyāṃ bhaye śvabhre jaṭharaḥ kaṭhine 'pi ca
യമൻ, വായു, ഇന്ദ്രൻ, ചന്ദ്രൻ, സൂര്യൻ, വിഷ്ണു, സിംഹം മുതലായ സന്ദർഭങ്ങളിൽ അദ്ദേഹം “ഹരി” എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ‘സ്ത്രീയല്ല’ (പുരുഷൻ) എന്ന അർത്ഥത്തിൽ “ദര”; ഭയത്തിലും ആഴമുള്ള കുഴി/കണ്ടകത്തിലും “ജഠര”; കൂടാതെ ‘കഠിനം/അടങ്ങാത്തത്’ എന്ന അർത്ഥത്തിലും ഈ പദം ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നു.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Polysemy-handling in reading/recitation and in composing/commenting: selecting the correct sense of a word (hari/dara/jaṭhara) by context.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Contextual senses of Hari, Dara, Jaṭhara (śabdārtha-nirdeśa)","lookup_keywords":["hari","dara","jaṭhara","śabdārtha","nighaṇṭu"],"quick_summary":"The verse teaches context-based meanings: ‘Hari’ functions as a name in several deity/force contexts; ‘Dara’ can mean ‘male (not woman)’; ‘Jaṭhara’ can denote fear/pit and also hardness, depending on usage."}
Concept: Śabda as a multi-sense carrier; meaning is fixed by context (prakaraṇa) rather than by word-form alone.
Application: Avoids misinterpretation in śāstra-reading, mantra/stotra recitation, and legal/ritual instructions where a single term may shift sense.
Khanda Section: Nama-vidya (Lexicography / Synonyms for Vishnu and related epithets)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned paṇḍita points to a palm-leaf lexicon while icons/symbols of Yama, Vāyu, Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Viṣṇu, and a lion appear as contextual panels; beside them, a chasm (śvabhra) and a hard rock illustrate ‘jaṭhara’ senses.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, central seated Sanskrit scholar with palm-leaf manuscript, surrounding circular vignettes of Yama, Vayu, Indra, Chandra, Surya, Vishnu, and a lion, plus a dark ravine and a hard stone, earthy reds and ochres, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf haloed Vishnu panel labeled ‘Hari’, adjacent small panels of Surya and Chandra, a lion emblem, and a scholar holding a manuscript, rich jewel tones, ornate borders, gold embossing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau of a teacher explaining a lexicon to students, with neatly drawn symbolic inserts (deities, ravine, rock) to show contextual meanings, delicate lines, muted palette, clean annotations","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scholar in a library presenting a glossary page, marginal mini-scenes of deities and a precipice to indicate meanings, fine brushwork, detailed textiles, balanced margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दरो ऽस्त्रियां → दरः + अस्त्रियाम् (अः + अ → ओऽ); कठिने ऽपि → कठिने + अपि (ए + अ → एऽ); समास/सन्धि-समुच्चयः: यम-अनिल-इन्द्र-चन्द्र-अर्क-विष्णु-सिंह-आदिके (समाहार-द्वन्द्व + ‘आदिक’).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Nama-vidya / Śabdārtha-kośa sequence)
FAQs
It teaches Nama-vidya: how specific epithets (e.g., Hari, Jaṭhara) are applied contextually as sanctioned synonymic usage within a Purāṇic lexicon.
By cataloging contextual synonyms and name-usage rules, it functions like a compact thesaurus/lexicon—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic modules alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts.
Knowing and using correct divine epithets is treated as a form of right remembrance (smaraṇa) and praise (stuti), supporting devotion and clarity in mantra, recitation, and theological understanding.