Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 2
Chapter 327 — छन्दःसारः
Chandas-sāra: The Essence of Metres
धनस्यान्नाथमेकन्त्विति ख ह्रस्वो गुरुर्वा पादान्ते पूर्वो योगाद् विसर्गतः अनुस्वाराद्व्यञ्जनात् स्थात् जिह्वामूलीयतस् तथा
dhanasyānnāthamekantviti kha hrasvo gururvā pādānte pūrvo yogād visargataḥ anusvārādvyañjanāt sthāt jihvāmūlīyatas tathā
‘ଧନସ୍ୟାନ୍ ନାଥମ୍’ ଓ ‘ଏକନ୍ତ୍ୱିତି‑ଖ’ ପରି ପ୍ରୟୋଗରେ ପାଦାନ୍ତରେ ହ୍ରସ୍ୱ ଅକ୍ଷର ମଧ୍ୟ ବିକଳ୍ପରେ ଗୁରୁ ଧରାଯାଇପାରେ। ପୂର୍ବ ଅକ୍ଷର ସଂଯୋଗ, ବିସର୍ଗ (ଃ), ଅନୁସ୍ୱାର (ଂ), ବ୍ୟଞ୍ଜନ ଏବଂ ଜିହ୍ୱାମୂଳୀୟ କାରଣରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୁରୁ ହୁଏ।
Lord Agni (instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Practical scansion rules: apply optional pādānta lengthening and positional lengthening (before conjuncts, visarga, anusvāra, consonants, jihvāmūlīya) to correctly count syllable weight in metres.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Laghu-Guru Determination at Pāda-End and by Phonetic Environment","lookup_keywords":["laghu-guru","padanta","visarga","anusvara","jihvamuliya"],"quick_summary":"A short syllable may be optionally treated as long at pāda-end; syllables become long by position when followed by conjuncts or certain phonetic markers like ḥ, ṃ, consonants, and jihvāmūlīya."}
Concept: Śabda-niyama: disciplined phonetic analysis as a means to preserve and produce correct metrical speech.
Application: When scanning a verse, treat final short as optionally long; mark a syllable guru if followed by conjunct/ḥ/ṃ/consonant/jihvāmūlīya to avoid metrical errors.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas & Prosody / Matra-vritta rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher demonstrates scansion: a pāda written on palm leaf with syllables marked laghu/guru; examples show visarga, anusvāra, conjuncts, and jihvāmūlīya affecting syllable length at the pāda end.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru pointing to palm-leaf verse with laghu-guru marks, enlarged symbols for ḥ and ṃ, students attentive, stylized script and phonetic signs, scholarly temple-school setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted manuscript with clear ḥ/ṃ signs, teacher indicating pādānta rule, students with stylus, ornate border, luminous instructional mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic clarity: a pāda segmented into syllables, laghu/guru markers, annotations ‘yoga’, ‘visarga’, ‘anusvāra’, ‘jihvāmūlīya’, clean lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scribe’s desk with manuscript showing metrical markings, teacher explaining phonetic conditions, close-up marginal notes for ḥ/ṃ and conjuncts, refined scholarly ambience."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dhanasyānnāthamekantviti → dhanasya + anna-artham + ekam + tu + iti; gururvā → guruḥ + vā; yogād visargataḥ → yogāt + visargataḥ; anusvārādvyañjanāt → anusvārāt + vyañjanāt.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 327 (Chandaḥsāra rules continuing)
FAQs
It teaches chandas (Sanskrit prosody): how to determine whether a syllable is laghu (short) or guru (long), especially at pāda-end and when followed by saṃyoga (consonant cluster), visarga, anusvāra, or jihvāmūlīya.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves technical śāstra material—here, precise metrical/phonetic rules used for composing and scanning Sanskrit poetry, showing its coverage of literary science (kāvya/chandas) alongside other disciplines.
Correct metrical recitation and composition support accurate preservation and transmission of sacred and puranic speech; mastering chandas is traditionally seen as aiding disciplined study (svādhyāya) and the purity of mantra/śāstra recitation.