Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 21
Chapter 342: शब्दालङ्काराः
Verbal/Sound-based Ornaments
यया कयाचिद्वृत्या यत् समानमनुभूयते तद्रूपादिपदासत्तिः सानुप्रसा रसावहा
yayā kayācidvṛtyā yat samānamanubhūyate tadrūpādipadāsattiḥ sānuprasā rasāvahā
สิ่งที่ด้วยวิธีการถ้อยคำอย่างหนึ่งทำให้เกิดความรู้สึกคล้ายคลึง คือการจัดวางคำที่มีความคล้ายกันในรูปและลักษณะอื่นอย่างเหมาะสม เรียกว่า ‘อนุปราสะ’ และเป็นพาหะนำรสะ (รสอรรถรส)
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s poetics section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Poets and speakers employ patterned phonetic repetition (similarity of sound/letter-form) to heighten musicality and thereby intensify rasa in verse, prose, and performance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Anuprāsa (Alliteration) as Śabda-alaṅkāra and Rasāvaha","lookup_keywords":["anuprāsa","śabda-alaṅkāra","varṇa-sāmya","rasa","vṛtti"],"quick_summary":"Anuprāsa is the aesthetically effective placement of words with similarity of sound/form, producing a felt resemblance; used correctly, it supports and carries rasa."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (alliteration/phonetic recurrence)
Concept: Sound (śabda) arranged with perceived similarity can function as a direct aesthetic cause, not merely ornament, by becoming rasa-conducive.
Application: In composition and recitation, choose phoneme clusters and word-order that echo each other without obscuring meaning, so rasa is supported rather than replaced by gimmick.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Alankara/Kavya theory: Shabda-alankara and Rasa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śṛṅgāra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned poet in a sabhā demonstrates alliterative lines; the audience visibly tastes rasa as the repeated sounds ripple like a musical refrain.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, sabhā of scholars seated on wooden platform, palm-leaf manuscripts, poet reciting with hand-gesture, subtle sound-waves motif around syllables, earthy reds and ochres, traditional ornamentation","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, poet-sage in assembly with gold-leaf highlights on manuscripts and ornaments, stylized speech-scroll showing repeated consonants, symmetrical composition, rich maroons and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: teacher pointing to written syllable clusters on a board/palm-leaf, students attentive, fine linework, soft shading, emphasis on letter-pattern repetition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly literary gathering, poet presenting a couplet, delicate calligraphy panel with repeated letters, attentive nobles, detailed textiles and carpets, restrained palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Vācaspati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कयाचिद्वृत्या = कया + चित् + वृत्या; समानमनुभूयते = समानम् + अनुभूयते; तद्रूपादिपदासत्तिः = तत् + रूपादि + पद + आसत्तिः; रसावहा = रस + आवहा
Related Themes: Agni Purana 342 (Śabda-alaṅkāra section); Agni Purana 343 (Rasa/alaṅkāra continuation, if present in the recension)
FAQs
It imparts poetic-technical knowledge (Sāhitya-vidyā): the definition of Anuprāsa as a sound-based ornament arising from apt word-arrangement that creates a perceived similarity and supports rasa.
Beyond ritual and dharma, the Agni Purana also codifies arts and sciences; here it preserves a formal rule of Sanskrit poetics (alaṅkāra-śāstra), showing its coverage of literary aesthetics alongside other disciplines.
By refining sacred and literary speech so it becomes rasa-bearing and effective, the verse supports the ideal of disciplined vāṇī (speech), which traditional thought links with clarity, auspicious expression, and merit through well-formed praise and teaching.