Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 36
Chapter 342: शब्दालङ्काराः
Verbal/Sound-based Ornaments
तत्तत्प्रसिद्धवस्तूनां बन्ध इत्य् अभिधीयते गोमूत्रिकार्धभ्रमणे सर्वतोभद्रमम्बुजम्
tattatprasiddhavastūnāṃ bandha ity abhidhīyate gomūtrikārdhabhramaṇe sarvatobhadramambujam
«Бандха» называется узорная расстановка, когда она образует фигуры общеизвестных предметов. В «полуобороте гому́трики» (gomūtrikā; особая петлевая, изогнутая схема) она становится рисунками «сарватобхадра» и «амбуджа» (лотос).
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Designing citra-kavya (pattern/shape poetry) layouts such as lotus and all-auspicious grids for manuscripts, inscriptions, and pedagogical demonstrations of varṇa-vinyāsa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Bandha (Citra-kavya) and Gomūtrikā Half-turn: Sarvatobhadra & Ambuja","lookup_keywords":["bandha","gomūtrikā","sarvatobhadra","ambuja","citra-kāvya"],"quick_summary":"Bandha is the shaped arrangement of syllables/letters into recognizable forms. A specific looping layout (gomūtrikā-ardha-bhramaṇa) yields sarvatobhadra (all-directionally auspicious) and ambuja (lotus) designs."}
Alamkara Type: Citra (Bandha-kāvya)
Concept: Knowledge can be systematized as reproducible patterns (bandha) where form itself becomes a carrier of meaning and auspiciousness.
Application: Use formal constraints to generate teachable, verifiable poetic designs; employ symmetry for memorability and ritual/ornamental value.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas & Alankara: figures of speech and poetic/metrical techniques)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe lays out syllables in a looping gomūtrikā half-turn, producing a symmetric sarvatobhadra grid and a lotus (ambuja) shaped poem-diagram.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural aesthetic, flat yet rich colors, a palm-leaf manuscript scene with a learned poet drawing a lotus-shaped akṣara-bandha and a square sarvatobhadra grid, ornate borders, traditional lamps, calm scholarly ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on a central lotus diagram made of Sanskrit syllables, framed manuscript and stylus, symmetrical sarvatobhadra square with gilded accents, deep reds and greens, temple-like decorative arch.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework showing step-by-step akṣara placement into ambuja and sarvatobhadra, instructional diagram feel, muted palette, delicate ornamentation, scholar seated with manuscript tools.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed atelier scene with calligrapher-poet arranging Devanagari syllables into a lotus and a symmetric square grid, patterned carpet, precise geometry, subtle shading and architectural interior."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्तत्प्रसिद्धवस्तूनाम् = तत् तत् प्रसिद्ध-वस्तूनाम्; इत्य् अभिधीयते = इति अभिधीयते; सर्वतोभद्रमम्बुजम् = सर्वतोभद्रम् अम्बुजम्; गोमूत्रिकार्धभ्रमणे = गोमूत्रिका-अर्ध-भ्रमणे
Related Themes: Agni Purana 342 (Sahitya-shastra: chandas, alankara, citra-bandha sections)
FAQs
It teaches a technical principle of chitra-kavya/bandha: how verses or syllables can be arranged into recognizable shapes, specifically naming the gomūtrikā half-turn that yields sarvatobhadra and lotus (ambuja) patterns.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana catalogs literary science—definitions and taxonomies of patterned compositions (bandhas), showing it functions as a reference work for Sanskrit poetics and aesthetic techniques.
While primarily literary-technical, such ‘auspicious’ (bhadra) symmetric patterns were traditionally associated with auspiciousness and merit through refined, dharmic learning and the beautification of sacred or laudatory compositions.