Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 4
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
अङ्कामः अः प्रशस्तः स्यात् को ब्रह्मादौ कु कुत्सिते खं शून्येन्द्रियं खङ्गो गन्धर्वे च विनायके
aṅkāmaḥ aḥ praśastaḥ syāt ko brahmādau ku kutsite khaṃ śūnyendriyaṃ khaṅgo gandharve ca vināyake
‘अः’ हा प्रशस्त/उत्तम अर्थी वापरला जातो. ‘क’ ब्रह्मा इत्यादींचा वाचक; ‘कु’ निंद्य/कुत्सित अर्थी. ‘ख’ शून्य तसेच इंद्रिये (रिक्तवत्) यांचाही बोधक आहे. ‘खङ्ग’ हा गंधर्व व विनायक (गणेश) यांचा वाचक म्हणतात।
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narration to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Quick lexical disambiguation of short forms (aḥ/ka/ku/kha/khaṅga) for reading, commentary, and poetic diction; helps avoid semantic errors and enables intentional wordplay.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Lexical glosses: aḥ/ka/ku/kha/khaṅga","lookup_keywords":["aḥ prashasta","ka brahma","ku kutsita","kha shunya","khaṅga vinayaka"],"quick_summary":"Provides compact meanings: aḥ = excellent/praiseworthy; ka = Brahmā etc.; ku = contemptible; kha = void and sense-organs; khaṅga = Gandharva and also Vināyaka—useful for kośa-style lookup and kavya nuance."}
Alamkara Type: Shlesha
Concept: Polysemy and conventional signification as a disciplined system; meaning depends on context (prakaraṇa).
Application: Supports accurate interpretation and deliberate poetic ambiguity (śleṣa) without grammatical fault.
Khanda Section: Vyakarana / Namalinganushasana (Sanskrit Grammar: phonetic-semantic glosses and lexical meanings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lexicon page with bold syllables aḥ, ka, ku, kha, khaṅga, each branching to small pictorial icons: a laurel/excellence mark, Brahmā, a contempt symbol, an empty space/void and sense-organs motif, and a split icon showing a Gandharva musician and Gaṇeśa (Vināyaka).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, manuscript-like panel with large glyphs ‘अः क कु ख खङ्ग’, icon vignettes: Brahmā, void-space, stylized sense organs, Gandharva with veena, Vināyaka; flat colors and strong outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted Sanskrit glyphs with medallions: Brahmā seated on lotus, Gaṇeśa, Gandharva musician, abstract void motif; ornate frame and embossed gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic chart with clean labels and small illustrative icons for each meaning, refined linework, classroom-like setting","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, illustrated glossary folio with calligraphic syllables and marginal miniatures: Brahmā, Gaṇeśa, Gandharva, symbolic void; intricate border decoration"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Saraswati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ब्रह्मादौ→ब्रह्म-आदौ
Related Themes: Agni Purana: continuing ekākṣara/kośa lists in ch. 347
FAQs
It imparts vyākaraṇa/kośa-vidyā: a lexicon-style mapping of syllables/words (aḥ, ka, ku, kha, khaṅga) to their accepted semantic domains for correct Sanskrit usage.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves grammatical and lexical instruction; this verse exemplifies its kośa-like, reference-manual function for meanings and proper application of terms.
By enabling precise recitation and interpretation of sacred language, it supports accurate mantra/śāstra understanding—traditionally held to preserve dharma and avoid errors arising from mistaken meanings.