Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 8
Chapter 338 — शृङ्गारादिरसनिरूपणम्
Exposition of the Rasas beginning with Śṛṅgāra
वीराच्चाद्भुतनिष्पत्तिः स्याद्वीभत्साद्भयानकः शृङ्गारहास्यकरुणा रौद्रवीरभयानकाः
vīrāccādbhutaniṣpattiḥ syādvībhatsādbhayānakaḥ śṛṅgārahāsyakaruṇā raudravīrabhayānakāḥ
Daripada rasa Vīra (kepahlawanan) lahir rasa Adbhuta (keajaiban); daripada rasa Vībhatsa (jijik) lahir rasa Bhayānaka (mengerikan). Dan Śṛṅgāra (asmara), Hāsya (jenaka), Karuṇā (duka belas), Raudra (amarah), Vīra (kepahlawanan) serta Bhayānaka (ketakutan) juga dihitung sebagai rasa-rasa utama.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Rasa-vicara for composing/criticizing kavya and staging drama: understanding rasa-janana (how one rasa can occasion another) and identifying principal rasas in a work.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Rasa-parivartana and Mukhyarasa-nirdesha","lookup_keywords":["vīra","adbhuta","vībhatsa","bhayānaka","mukhyarasa"],"quick_summary":"Maps rasa-derivation (vīra→adbhuta; vībhatsa→bhayānaka) and reiterates a set of principal rasas used to judge poetic/dramatic excellence."}
Concept: Aesthetic taxonomy: rasas can be principal and can condition/occasion one another in experience.
Application: Use as a checklist while composing scenes: choose dominant rasa, anticipate secondary rasa emergence, and maintain coherence of emotional progression.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra: Rasa-Nirūpaṇa / Aesthetics)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic ‘rasa-wheel’ or courtly assembly where a poet and actors demonstrate transitions: heroic scene blooming into wonder; grotesque scene turning into fear; panels naming principal rasas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural palette, flat iconic figures; a circular mandala of rasas with labeled Sanskrit captions; vīra warrior scene transforming into adbhuta celestial marvel; vībhatsa grotesque turning into bhayānaka fear; ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf; central rasa-chakra medallion; small narrative vignettes around it for śṛṅgāra, hāsya, karuṇā, raudra, vīra, bhayānaka; rich textiles and jewelry; embossed labels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional illustration; clean linework; chart-like layout showing arrows vīra→adbhuta and vībhatsa→bhayānaka; small actor poses (abhinaya) demonstrating each rasa; muted washes.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature court scene: poet-scholar presenting a rasa diagram to patrons; marginal vignettes of battlefield heroism leading to marvel, and macabre scene leading to terror; fine detailing, architectural backdrop."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वीराच्च = वीरात् + च; चाद्भुतनिष्पत्तिः = च + अद्भुतनिष्पत्तिः; स्याद्वीभत्साद्भयानकः = स्यात् + वीभत्सात् + भयानकः; शृङ्गारहास्यकरुणा = शृङ्गार-हास्य-करुणाः (द्वन्द्व, बहुवचन); रौद्रवीरभयानकाः = रौद्र-वीर-भयानकाः (द्वन्द्व).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 338 (Rasa-nirupana context); Agni Purana sections on alamkara/chandas in Sahitya-shastra khanda
FAQs
It imparts Kavya-śāstra (Sanskrit poetics) knowledge: how rasas are classified and how certain rasas are said to generate or lead to other rasas (e.g., Vīra → Adbhuta; Vībhatsa → Bhayānaka) for practical use in dramaturgy and poetry.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves technical aesthetic theory (rasa-nirūpaṇa) used in drama, narrative, and ornate poetry—showing the text’s coverage of arts and literary science alongside dharma and worship.
By guiding the ethical and emotionally appropriate portrayal of human experience, rasa-theory supports dhārmic storytelling and contemplation—channeling emotions into refined understanding rather than raw impulse, which is treated as conducive to inner purification.