Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 7
Chapter 340 — नृत्यादावङ्गकर्मनिरूपणम्
Explanation of Bodily Actions in Dance and Performance
न प्रयोगः क्वचिन्मुख्यन्तिरश्चीनञ्च तत् क्वचित् आकम्पितं कम्पितञ्च धूतं विधूतमेव च
na prayogaḥ kvacinmukhyantiraścīnañca tat kvacit ākampitaṃ kampitañca dhūtaṃ vidhūtameva ca
சிலவேளை நேரடி பயன்பாடு இல்லை; சிலவேளை முன்னோக்கி, சிலவேளை பக்கமாக (திர்யக்) இருக்கும். அதுபோல் ஆகம்பிதம் (ஆரம்ப நடுக்கம்), கம்பிதம் (முழு நடுக்கம்), தூதம் (அசைவு), விதூதம் (வலுவான அசைவு) எனவும் நிகழும்।
Lord Agni (teaching to Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Reading and executing combat/archery body-movement indicators: distinguishing frontal vs. lateral application and grading tremors from slight quiver to violent shaking—useful for aim control, feint recognition, and stress management in battle.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Combat/archery movement modes: frontal/lateral and degrees of tremor","lookup_keywords":["mukhya","tiraścīna","ākampita","kampita","dhūta","vidhūta"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates orientations of application (frontal or sideways) and a scale of shaking—from initial quiver to violent agitation—supporting technical diagnosis of movement quality in martial practice."}
Weapon Type: Bow (implied archery body-application)
Concept: Skill is discriminative awareness (viveka) of micro-variations in movement; mastery begins by naming and grading instability.
Application: Use the tremor scale as a checklist: do not release a shot when movement has reached dhūta/vidhūta; reset posture and breath until only minimal ākampita remains.
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda (Archery & Military Science) – Śarīra-ceṣṭā & Lakṣaṇa (body-movement indicators used in combat/archery)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A warrior-archer demonstrates different orientations—front-facing and sideways—while an instructor points out degrees of tremor: slight quiver, full tremor, shaking, and violent shaking.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, archer in two stances (frontal and lateral) with dynamic lines indicating tremor levels; traditional armor, bold contours, battlefield minimalism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, heroic archer with gold embellishments; four small inset halos around the arms/bow showing ākampita, kampita, dhūta, vidhūta as progressively stronger motion marks.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional martial plate: side-by-side stance diagrams and tremor gradation marks on hands and bow, clean composition, labeled Sanskrit terms.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, training ground with master and archer; subtle depiction of hand tremor and posture correction, detailed weapons and textiles, naturalistic motion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्वचिन्मुख्यः = क्वचित् + मुख्यः; तिरश्चीनञ्च = तिरश्चीनम् + च; कम्पितञ्च = कम्पितम् + च; विधूतमेव = विधूतम् + एव
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dhanurveda sections on śarīra-ceṣṭā, lakṣaṇa, and weapon-handling around this chapter; Agni Purana archery posture and aiming instructions in adjacent verses
FAQs
It classifies practical modes of engagement and observable movement/tremor-types—front-facing vs. lateral action, and graded shaking from slight quiver (ākampita) to violent agitation (vidhūta)—useful for Dhanurvedic assessment in combat/archery situations.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves technical taxonomies used in applied sciences like Dhanurveda—here, a concise diagnostic vocabulary for bodily motion and engagement angles, reflecting systematic military knowledge embedded in a Purāṇic text.
By promoting disciplined awareness and correct application rather than reckless action, the instruction supports dharmic conduct in warfare—minimizing error and harm through trained perception and controlled technique.