Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 11
Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti
कुर्याच्चतुर्विधं स्तोर्त्रं पक्षयोरुभयोरपि तपस्विव्यञ्जनोपेतैः सुचरैः सह संवसेत्
kuryāccaturvidhaṃ stortraṃ pakṣayorubhayorapi tapasvivyañjanopetaiḥ sucaraiḥ saha saṃvaset
Deve-se compor um stotra, um hino de louvor, de quatro tipos, aplicável a ambos os lados (ou a ambas as partes); e deve-se viver na companhia dos virtuosos, dotados de sinais de tapas (austeridade) e de boa conduta.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Guidance for composing structured hymns and cultivating ethical company (satsaṅga) to support disciplined literary and devotional practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Caturvidha-stotra-vidhi & Satsaṅga (Fourfold Hymn and Keeping Virtuous Company)","lookup_keywords":["stotra","caturvidha","su-carita","tapassvī","satsaṅga"],"quick_summary":"Compose hymns in a fourfold scheme (structured across both parts/divisions) and live with the virtuous—ascetic-marked, well-conducted companions—so that literary devotion is supported by character and community."}
Concept: Satsaṅga and śīla (conduct) stabilize spiritual-literary practice; composition is not merely technique but supported by tapas and right living.
Application: Adopt a regimen: structured hymn-writing plus intentional association with disciplined, ethical practitioners to refine speech, mind, and devotion.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas/Alankara & Stotra-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet-devotee composing a hymn on palm leaves in a quiet āśrama setting, with four-part structure indicated by four panels or four garlands; nearby sit virtuous ascetics and well-conducted companions, embodying satsaṅga.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, serene āśrama grove, poet writing on palm leaf, four symbolic sections shown as four garlands or four lamps, ascetics with calm faces seated nearby, earthy reds/ochres and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, devotional composition scene with gold-highlighted lamps and ornaments, poet-devotee before a small shrine, fourfold hymn suggested by four framed verses, virtuous companions seated in reverent posture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional depiction of hymn composition: four labeled segments around the central writer, gentle shading, refined faces of tapasvins, emphasis on disciplined conduct.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate scholarly gathering in a garden pavilion, poet with manuscript, companions in simple ascetic attire, fourfold structure shown as four separate folios laid out, detailed flora and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kuryāt+ca → kuryācca; pakṣayoḥ+ubhayayoḥ+api → pakṣayorubhayorapi; tapasvi+vyañjana+upetaiḥ → tapasvivyañjanopetaiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya-shastra sections on chandas/alaṅkāra and stotra-vidhi; Agni Purana dharma passages praising satsaṅga and sadācāra
FAQs
It teaches stotra-vidhi: composing a hymn in a fourfold classification and applying it across both structural divisions (pakṣa-dvaya), alongside the practical discipline of keeping holy company (satsanga) with austerity-marked, well-conducted persons.
Beyond ritual and theology, it includes technical guidance on Sanskrit devotional composition (a Sahitya-shastra adjacent topic) and pairs it with social-ethical instruction (how a practitioner should live), illustrating the text’s wide scope from literary form to lived discipline.
Right praise (well-formed stotra) and association with the virtuous are presented as purifying supports for devotion, strengthening character, curbing harmful influences, and increasing religious merit through disciplined speech and conduct.