Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 14
Chapter 336 — काव्यादिलक्षणम्
Definitions of Poetry and Related Arts
भवन्ति यत्र दीप्ताश् च रीतिवृत्तिप्रवृत्तयः उच्छासैश् च परिच्छेदो यत्र या चूर्णकोत्तरा
bhavanti yatra dīptāś ca rītivṛttipravṛttayaḥ ucchāsaiś ca paricchedo yatra yā cūrṇakottarā
రీతి, వృత్తి ప్రవృత్తులు ప్రకాశంగా కనిపించి, ఉచ్ఛ్వాసాల (విరామాల) ద్వారా పరిచ్ఛేదం చేయబడుతూ, ‘చూర్ణకోత్తరా’ అనే ముగింపు లయ ఉన్నది ఆ (ఛందోబద్ధ) కృతి.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in encyclopedic topics, here poetic/prosodic technique)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Applying prosodic-performance markers (ucchvasa pauses, pariccheda segmentation, concluding cadence) to make metrical narration clear and aesthetically ‘vivid’ in delivery and writing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Ucchvasa-pariccheda and curnakottara cadence in kavya-prayoga","lookup_keywords":["ucchvasa","pariccheda","riti","vritti","curnakottara"],"quick_summary":"Vivid style (riti) and metrical movement (vritti) are supported by clear pause-based segmentation (ucchvasa) and a recognized closing cadence (curnakottara), aiding readability and recitation."}
Concept: Form (prayoga) governs comprehension: pauses and endings structure meaning and aesthetic impact.
Application: When composing/reciting, mark ucchvasa pauses for pariccheda divisions and craft a recognizable closing cadence to signal completion.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Chandas & Kavya-prayoga: prosody, metrical technique, and poetic diction)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A poet-teacher demonstrates metrical delivery: lines of verse segmented by breath-pauses (ucchvasa), with a highlighted final cadence labeled curnakottara.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style classroom-sabha; guru-poet with hand raised marking pauses; stylized script bands showing verse segments separated by breath marks; final segment ornamented to indicate curnakottara; warm earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: seated acharya with manuscript and stylus; gold-embossed borders around segmented verse panels; the last panel gleams with extra gold to signify curnakottara; temple-lamp ambience.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: diagrammatic layout of a poem with pariccheda blocks; arrows indicating ucchvasa pauses; a neat label for riti and vritti; soft colors, precise lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a literary salon; a reciter pauses rhythmically while listeners follow a manuscript with visible section breaks; the final line decorated to show closing cadence; detailed carpets and cushions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दीप्ताश् च = दीप्ताः + च; विसर्ग-सन्धि। उच्छासैश् च = उच्छासैः + च; विसर्ग-सन्धि।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 336 (chandas/kavya-prayoga context)
FAQs
It teaches prosodic diagnostics for verse-making: how style (rīti) and metrical movement (vṛtti) should appear distinctly, how verses are divided by pauses (ucchvāsa), and how a recognized terminal cadence (cūrṇakottarā) marks the ending.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves technical śāstra material—here, literary science (sāhitya/chandas). It catalogues practical markers used by poets and reciters to classify and perform meters, showing the text’s breadth across disciplines.
Correct chandas and recitation structure are traditionally held to preserve mantra/verse efficacy and purity of transmission; mastering pauses and endings supports accurate chanting and disciplined speech, which is treated as merit-bearing (puṇya) in śāstric culture.