Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 64

Chapter 342: शब्दालङ्काराः

Verbal/Sound-based Ornaments

Devanagari script

वाणवाणासनव्योमखड्गमुद्गरशक्तयः द्विचतुर्थत्रिशृङ्गाटा दम्भोलिमुषलाङ्कुशाः

Transliteration

vāṇavāṇāsanavyomakhaḍgamudgaraśaktayaḥ dvicaturthatriśṛṅgāṭā dambholimuṣalāṅkuśāḥ

Translation

မြားများ၊ လေးနှင့်မြားပစ္စည်းများ၊ ကောင်းကင်မှ ပစ်ခတ်သည့် အဝေးပစ်လက်နက်များ၊ ဓားများ၊ ဂဒ (mace) များ၊ ရှက်တိ (spear) များ၊ ထို့ပြင် ချွန် ၂ ချွန်၊ ၄ ချွန်၊ ၃ ချွန် ပါသော လက်နက်များ—အပြင် ဝဇ္ရ (vajra)၊ မုဆလ (club) နှင့် အင်ကူရှ (ankusha) တို့။

Word by Word

• vāṇa-vāṇa-āsana-vyoma-khaḍga-mudgara-śaktayaḥ: (patterns named) arrow, arrow, seat, sky, sword, hammer, spear
• vāṇa-vāṇa-āsana-vyoma-khaḍga-mudgara-śaktayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (as enumerated items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + vyoma (प्रातिपदिक) + khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + mudgara (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग) (head: śakti), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); itaretara-dvandva list-compound

• dvi-caturtha-tri-śṛṅgāṭāḥ: (patterns named) ‘two’, ‘fourth’, ‘three’, ‘śṛṅgāṭa’
• dvi-caturtha-tri-śṛṅgāṭāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + caturtha (प्रातिपदिक) + tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + śṛṅgāṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); enumerative dvandva of named forms

• dambholi-muṣala-aṅkuśāḥ: (patterns named) thunderbolt, pestle, goad
• dambholi-muṣala-aṅkuśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dambholi (प्रातिपदिक) + muṣala (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅkuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); itaretara-dvandva list-compound

Speaker

Lord Agni (narrating Dhanurveda material, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)

Vidya Category

Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Weapon identification and inventorying for training curricula, armory management, and battlefield role assignment.","sutra_style":true}

Encyclopedic Reference

Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Weapon list: arrows, bows, aerial projectiles, swords, maces, spears, pronged weapons, vajra, club, goad","lookup_keywords":["vāṇa","khaḍga","mudgara","śakti","aṅkuśa"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates a standard set of weapons and weapon-classes, including missile arms, melee arms, and specialized pronged/thunderbolt-like implements for martial training and armory catalogues."}

Dhanurveda Layer

Weapon Type: Bow and arrows; swords; maces/clubs; spears (śakti); pronged weapons (tri-/dvi-/catur-śṛṅgāṭa); vajra-type; goad (aṅkuśa); aerial/projectile weapons (vyoma).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Systematic enumeration as a basis for skill-training and state preparedness.

Application: Use the list as a syllabus/armory checklist: ensure procurement, maintenance, and specialist instructors for each weapon class.

Khanda Section

Khanda Section: Dhanurveda (Ancient Indian Military Science / Weaponry Lists)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: Vira

Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An armory display: bundles of arrows, bows, swords, maces, spears, pronged tridents/forks, a vajra-like weapon, heavy clubs, and an ankuśa arranged for inspection by a trainer.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, martial instructor in traditional attire pointing to a neatly arranged weapon rack—bows, arrows, swords, maces, spears, pronged weapons, vajra, ankuśa—bold contours, earthy reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, heroic armory tableau with gold highlights on weapon edges and fittings, symmetrical arrangement, rich background textiles, emphasis on gleaming khaḍga and vajra.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style technical illustration, labeled weapons laid out in rows with fine linework, focus on shapes of tri-/dvi-/catur-śṛṅgāṭa and ankuśa, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, royal arsenal scene with attendants presenting weapons to a commander, meticulous detail on metalwork and quivers, architectural backdrop, subdued jewel palette."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Raga Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: All three are list-compounds (dvandva) used as technical names; internal sandhi resolved with hyphens for readability.

Cross References

Related Themes: Agni Purana 249-252 (commonly associated Dhanurveda sections: weapons, training, formations—chapter numbering varies by recension); Agni Purana 342 (miscellaneous encyclopedic entries; here weapon list)

Characters & Entities

• Dhanurveda
• khaḍga (sword)
• mudgara (mace)
• śakti (spear)
• vajra (dambholi)
• aṅkuśa (goad)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts Dhanurveda taxonomy by listing core weapon categories—archery gear, swords, maces, spears, pronged weapons (two/three/four-pointed), and specialized implements like the vajra and aṅkuśa—useful for identifying arms in training, deployment, and textual classification.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

By preserving a compact, technical inventory of weapon-terminology, it functions like a reference index within the Purana, showing that Agni Purana compiles practical knowledge (here, warfare science) alongside theology, ritual, and other disciplines.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

In the Purāṇic frame, disciplined knowledge of arms is tied to righteous protection (dharma-rakṣaṇa): weapons are to be understood and employed under rajadharma and self-control, so power serves order rather than personal harm.