Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 12
Discrimination of the Qualities of Poetry (Kāvya-guṇa-viveka) — Closing Verse/Colophon Transition
वक्तव्यग्राम्यवाच्यस्य वचनात्स्मरणादपि तद्वाचकपदेनाभिसाम्याद्भवति सा त्रिधा
vaktavyagrāmyavācyasya vacanātsmaraṇādapi tadvācakapadenābhisāmyādbhavati sā tridhā
वक्तव्यस्य ग्राम्यवाच्यस्य च विषये सा (लक्षणा) त्रिधा भवति—वचनात्, स्मरणादपि, तद्वाचकपदेनाभिसाम्यात्।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Understanding indirect signification/evocation in poetry and rhetoric—how meaning can arise without direct denotation, useful for composing suggestive, tasteful expression.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Indirect Signification: Threefold Arising (utterance, recollection, association)","lookup_keywords":["lakṣaṇā","vyañjanā","smaraṇa","abhisāmya","tad-vācaka"],"quick_summary":"For meanings not directly stated in ordinary speech, indirect sense arises in three modes: by utterance, by recollection, and by association through similarity with the denoting word. Practical takeaway: poets can imply sensitive or subtle content without blunt naming."}
Alamkara Type: Dhavni/Lakṣaṇā (conceptual)
Concept: Meaning is not exhausted by direct denotation; cognition can be triggered by memory and associative similarity.
Application: In composition, replace explicit taboo/harsh terms with suggestive phrasing; in interpretation, track memory cues and associative links to recover intended sense.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya/Alankara and Shabda-vritti)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher demonstrates three pathways of implied meaning: spoken word, a thought-bubble of recollection, and a visual link of similarity between two words/objects, while a student listens with a manuscript open.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru and disciple with palm-leaf text, three symbolic panels behind them: speech scroll, memory lotus, and twin objects connected by a line for similarity, bold outlines and traditional color blocks.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold accents, central guru pointing to a triad diagram on a scroll—vacana, smaraṇa, abhisāmya—ornate arch frame, luminous background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined instructional diagram beside the figures, gentle colors, clear labeling of the three modes of indirect meaning, scholarly ambience.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, classroom in a kitabkhana, marginal illustrations showing speech, recollection, and resemblance, intricate borders and calligraphy, attentive student posture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वचनात्स्मरणादपि = वचनात् + स्मरणात् + अपि; तद्वाचकपदेनाभिसाम्याद्भवति = तद्-वाचक-पदेन + अभिसाम्यात् + भवति.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 346 (Śabda-vṛtti / doṣa-guṇa discussions)
FAQs
It teaches a technical point of Sanskrit semantics/poetics: an indirect or suggested sense (beyond the literal ‘vācya’) is understood in three ways—through spoken expression, through mental recollection, and through similarity/association with the denoting word.
Alongside ritual, dharma, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also preserves kavya- and śāstra-style theory of meaning (shabda-vṛtti). This verse is a compact, technical classification used in Sanskrit literary criticism and linguistic analysis.
While not a ritual injunction, it supports correct understanding and transmission of śāstra and sacred discourse—clarifying how meaning is grasped beyond literal words, which aids accurate study (svādhyāya) and teaching (adhyāpana).