Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 21
Chapter 338 — शृङ्गारादिरसनिरूपणम्
Exposition of the Rasas beginning with Śṛṅgāra
दुःखानन्दादिजन्नेत्रजलमश्रु च विश्रुतम् इन्द्रयाणामस्तमयः प्रलयो लङ्घनादिभिः
duḥkhānandādijannetrajalamaśru ca viśrutam indrayāṇāmastamayaḥ pralayo laṅghanādibhiḥ
Хорошо известный термин «ашру» (aśru) — это слёзы, вода глаз, возникающая от печали, радости и тому подобного. «Пралайя» (pralaya) — это «закат» чувств, то есть прекращение их действия, вызванное постом и сходными причинами.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) to sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Defines terms used in poetics/natya (aśru, pralaya) while also mapping them to physiological/behavioral signs useful for observation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Aśru and Pralaya (tears and sensory cessation/fainting)","lookup_keywords":["ashru","netra-jala","pralaya","indriya-astamaya","langhana"],"quick_summary":"Aśru is eye-water produced by sorrow/joy etc.; pralaya is the ‘setting’ of the senses (fainting/cessation) caused by fasting and similar factors—useful in drama depiction and symptom recognition."}
Concept: Inner emotion expresses through involuntary bodily signs (aśru) and extreme depletion can cause sensory withdrawal (pralaya).
Application: In arts: portray tears/swoon as authentic markers; in life: recognize limits of austerity and maintain bodily support.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra / Alaṅkāra and Poetics)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic figure sheds tears from sorrow/joy; another collapses or becomes senseless due to fasting, with senses ‘setting’ like lamps going out.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, expressive eyes with stylized tear drops, second figure reclining in faint, attendants offering water, bold outlines and temple palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, devotional-drama mood: tearful face with gold highlights, fainting figure supported by companions, ornate gold borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, stage-like instructional depiction of sattvika-bhavas: aśru (tears) and pralaya (swoon) labeled, subtle expressions and gentle shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court performance scene: actor with tears, another swooning from austerity, musicians at side, intricate costumes and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दुःखानन्दादिजन्नेत्रजलम् = दुःख + आनन्द + आदि + जन्(=जन्म) + नेत्र + जलम्; नेत्रजलमश्रु = नेत्रजलम् + अश्रु; इन्द्रयाणामस्तमयः = इन्द्रियाणाम् + अस्तमयः (यण्-सन्धिः: इ + अ → य + अ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sahitya/Natya definitional run around 338.19–338.22
FAQs
It gives technical lakṣaṇas used in Sanskrit poetics: defining aśru (tears) as an eye-response arising from emotions, and pralaya as sensory cessation (a swoon-like state) triggered by causes such as laṅghana (fasting/abstention).
Alongside ritual and dharma topics, the Agni Purana also preserves kavya-śāstra terminology—cataloguing psychological and bodily responses (anubhāvas) like tears and pralaya—showing its broad, reference-style coverage of classical Indian knowledge systems.
By classifying states like fasting-induced sensory withdrawal (pralaya/indriya-astamaya), it indirectly supports disciplines of restraint (saṃyama) and self-observation—qualities valued for purification and steadiness of mind in spiritual practice.