Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 14
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
श्रूतेरलभ्यमानो ऽर्थो यस्माद्भाति सचेतनः स आक्षेपो धनिः स्याच्च ध्वनिना व्यज्यते यतः
śrūteralabhyamāno 'rtho yasmādbhāti sacetanaḥ sa ākṣepo dhaniḥ syācca dhvaninā vyajyate yataḥ
கேட்ட சொற்களால் நேரடியாகப் பெற முடியாத பொருள், ஆனால் உணர்வுள்ள அறிவாளி வாசகருக்கு வெளிப்படுவது ‘ஆக்ஷேபம்’ எனப்படும்; அது த்வனி/வ்யஞ்ஜனா (சுட்டுரை) மூலம் வெளிப்படுவதால் ‘தனி’ (த்வனியின் ஒரு வகை) என்று கூறப்படுகிறது।
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Training readers and poets to detect suggested (vyaṅgya) meaning beyond literal/expressed sense, crucial for interpretation, critique, and composition of dhvani-centered poetry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ākṣepa as Dhani (Dhvani via Vyañjanā)","lookup_keywords":["ākṣepa","dhvani","dhani","vyañjanā","vyaṅgyārtha"],"quick_summary":"A meaning not directly obtained from the heard words but flashing forth to a sensitive reader is termed ākṣepa and classified as dhani, because it is revealed by suggestion (vyañjanā)."}
Alamkara Type: Ākṣepa (as dhvani/dhani)
Concept: Knowledge can be manifested (bhāti) beyond direct verbal apprehension; cognition includes implied layers accessible to refined awareness.
Application: Hermeneutics: interpret texts by attending to implied intent and contextual resonance, not only literal wording.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra: Dhvani and Alankara theory)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned poet-teacher points to a written verse while a sensitive student perceives a luminous, unspoken meaning rising behind the words, symbolized as a subtle glow or echo.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, guru and śiṣya seated on a wooden platform with palm-leaf manuscript, soft ochres and greens, a faint halo-like wave behind the written words indicating dhvani, traditional ornaments, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central seated ācārya holding palm-leaf, student with folded hands, embossed gold leaf around a stylized aura representing suggested meaning, rich reds and greens, temple interior motifs","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional scene with manuscript and stylus, subtle translucent overlay behind the text to show implied meaning, delicate pastel palette, minimal background architecture","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary salon, poet reciting while a listener’s face shows sudden comprehension, thin gold margins, detailed textiles, a faint painted ‘sound-wave’ motif behind the calligraphy to signify dhvani"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रूतेर्+अलभ्यमानः→श्रूतेरलभ्यमानः; अलभ्यमानः+अर्थः→अलभ्यमानोऽर्थः; यस्मात्+भाति→यस्माद्भाति; स्याच्+च→स्याच्च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 343 (Sahitya-shastra preliminaries); Agni Purana 344 (Dhvani/Alankara definitions)
FAQs
It imparts kāvya-śāstra (poetics) knowledge: the technical definition of ā-kṣepa as a dhvani-based figure where the intended meaning is grasped by suggestion rather than direct word-meaning.
By formally defining a concept from Sanskrit literary theory (dhvani/vyañjanā and ā-kṣepa), the Agni Purana demonstrates its scope beyond ritual and mythology into systematic arts and sciences, including aesthetics and semantics.
Indirectly, it trains refined comprehension (sacetana/sahrdaya-buddhi): discerning suggested meanings supports deeper engagement with sacred and poetic speech, fostering contemplative sensitivity rather than mere literalism.