Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 10
Chapter 340 — नृत्यादावङ्गकर्मनिरूपणम्
Explanation of Bodily Actions in Dance and Performance
दृष्तिस्त्रिधा रमस्थायिसञ्चारिप्रतिबन्धना षट्त्रिंशद्भेदविधुरा रसजा तत्र चाष्टधा
dṛṣtistridhā ramasthāyisañcāripratibandhanā ṣaṭtriṃśadbhedavidhurā rasajā tatra cāṣṭadhā
Ang pagdama sa estetika (dṛṣṭi) ay tatlong uri: kaugnay ng galak (rama), ng matatag na damdamin (sthāyī), ng mga panandaliang damdamin (sañcārī), at ng mga salik na humahadlang (pratibandha). Sinasabing may tatlumpu’t anim na pagkakaiba sa mga sangay nito, na nagmumula sa rasa; at sa gayong diwa, ito’y walo rin ang uri.
Lord Agni (teaching to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Guiding poets, critics, and performers in how rasa is apprehended through dṛṣṭi (aesthetic ‘seeing’/apprehension), mapping it to sthāyī, sañcārī, and pratibandha factors.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dṛṣṭi-bheda in rasa-apprehension (3; 36 subdivisions; 8fold)","lookup_keywords":["dṛṣṭi","rasa","sthāyī-bhāva","sañcārī-bhāva","pratibandha"],"quick_summary":"Classifies aesthetic apprehension as threefold in relation to delight, stable emotion, transitory emotions, and obstructive factors; further notes a 36-fold subdivision arising from rasa and an 8-fold scheme used in practice."}
Concept: Rasa is not merely written or acted; it is ‘apprehended’ through structured modes of perception shaped by emotions and their facilitators/obstacles.
Application: In critique or rehearsal, diagnose whether rasa-failure is due to weak sthāyī support, insufficient sañcārī modulation, or pratibandha (obstruction) such as inconsistency, overstatement, or contextual mismatch.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Rasa–Drishti–Kavya aesthetics)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scholar-critic explains a chart of rasa-based dṛṣṭi classifications; performers demonstrate different emotional apprehensions while an audience reacts.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized assembly of performers and connoisseurs (sahṛdaya), a palm-leaf chart showing dṛṣṭi-bheda, expressive faces indicating different rasas, rich reds/ochres and bold contours","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sabhā scene with poet and nāṭya troupe, gold embellishment on throne and ornaments, eight rasa panels around a central figure labeled dṛṣṭi, devotional-courtly ambience","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional aesthetic diagram: threefold dṛṣṭi with branching 36 subdivisions and an 8fold rasa wheel, delicate lines and muted colors, scholarly setting","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, literary salon with critic pointing to a manuscript, performers enact emotions, detailed audience reactions, architectural niches and patterned carpets"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दृष्तिस्त्रिधा = दृष्टिः + त्रिधा (visarga sandhi). चाष्टधा = च + अष्टधा. Long compound treated as samāhāra-dvandva: रम-स्थायि-सञ्चारि-प्रतिबन्धना.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 340 (rasa, bhāva, dṛṣṭi, abhinaya classifications)
FAQs
It imparts kāvya-śāstra (Sanskrit poetics): a technical classification of dṛṣṭi (aesthetic apprehension) in relation to rasa, dominant emotions (sthāyī), transitory emotions (sañcārī), and impediments (pratibandha), including enumerations of its subtypes (36) and an eightfold scheme.
Beyond mythology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves systematic literary theory—rasa psychology, emotional taxonomy, and critical categories—showing that it functions as a compendium of arts and sciences (including poetics) alongside dharma, polity, and worship.
By clarifying how rasa is properly tasted or obstructed, the verse frames refined aesthetic experience as a disciplined, sattvic cultivation of mind—supporting inner purification through elevated emotions rather than agitation by impediments (pratibandha).