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
‘ਅਃ’ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਸਤ/ਉੱਤਮ ਅਰਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ‘ਕ’ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਆਦਿ ਦਾ ਵਾਚਕ ਹੈ; ‘ਕੁ’ ਨਿੰਦਣਯੋਗ/ਕੁਤਸਿਤ ਅਰਥ ਵਿੱਚ। ‘ਖ’ ਸ਼ੂਨ੍ਯ ਅਤੇ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੀਆਂ (ਖਾਲੀ ਸਮਾਨ) ਦਾ ਵੀ ਬੋਧਕ ਹੈ। ‘ਖੰਗ’ ਗੰਧਰਵ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਨਾਇਕ (ਗਣੇਸ਼) ਦਾ ਵਾਚਕ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।
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.