Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 7
Chapter 344: Ornaments of Word-and-Meaning (शब्दार्थालङ्काराः)
प्रकटत्वमभिव्यक्तिः श्रुतिराक्षेप इत्य् अपि तस्या भेदौ श्रुतिस्तत्र शब्दं स्वार्थसमर्पणम्
prakaṭatvamabhivyaktiḥ śrutirākṣepa ity api tasyā bhedau śrutistatra śabdaṃ svārthasamarpaṇam
Ang pagiging-lantad (prakaṭatva) ay tinatawag na ‘abhivyakti’ (hayag na pagpapakita). May dalawang uri ito na tinatawag ding ‘śruti’ at ‘ākṣepa’. Dito, ang ‘śruti’ ay ang tuwirang paghahatid ng salita sa sarili nitong pangunahing kahulugan.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic instruction)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Distinguish direct denotation (śruti/abhidhā) from other modes like implication/ākṣepa when interpreting poetry, rhetoric, and śāstric statements.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Abhivyakti: Śruti and Ākṣepa; Śruti as Primary Denotation","lookup_keywords":["abhivyakti","sruti","aksepa","shabda-shakti","svartha-samarpana"],"quick_summary":"Explicit manifestation (abhivyakti) is analyzed into śruti and ākṣepa. Śruti is the word’s direct delivery of its own primary meaning (straight denotation)."}
Concept: Meaning arises through recognized word-powers; first grasp the primary sense before moving to oblique or prompted senses.
Application: In commentary (ṭīkā) and close reading, identify where śruti suffices and where ākṣepa is intended; avoid forcing secondary meanings when primary denotation is adequate.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Vyakarana & Kavya—Shabda-shakti / Abhidha-lakshana-vyajana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A commentator points to a word on a manuscript, showing its direct meaning (śruti) and then gesturing to an implied prompt (ākṣepa), with students noting semantic layers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru with palm-leaf manuscript, one hand indicating a written word (śruti), the other gesturing outward (ākṣepa), students in traditional attire, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, teacher and pupils, gold-leaf halo-like emphasis around the manuscript word, symbolic arrows for ‘direct’ vs ‘prompted’, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, schematic instructional scene with two labeled paths from ‘śabda’ to ‘artha’: ‘śruti’ straight line, ‘ākṣepa’ curved line, gentle colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly circle with a commentator, marginal glosses illustrating primary meaning and prompted sense, fine detailing of script and gestures"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रकटत्वमभिव्यक्तिः = प्रकटत्वम् + अभिव्यक्तिः; श्रुतिराक्षेप = श्रुतिः + आक्षेपः; इत्यपि = इति + अपि; श्रुतिस्तत्र = श्रुतिः + तत्र; स्वार्थसमर्पणम् = स्व-अर्थ-समर्पणम्।
Related Themes: Agni Purana Sāhitya-khaṇḍa: sections on śabda-śakti (abhidhā/lakṣaṇā/vyañjanā) near 344
FAQs
It imparts Sahitya-shastra/Vyakarana-based semantic theory: how meaning is communicated—specifically, defining ‘śruti’ as direct denotation where a word conveys its primary sense, contrasted with ‘ākṣepa’ as oblique implication.
Beyond rituals and dharma, the Agni Purana systematizes disciplines like Sanskrit linguistics and poetics; this verse preserves technical terminology (abhivyakti, śruti, ākṣepa) used in classical literary theory, showing the text’s wide curricular scope.
By clarifying correct verbal understanding and interpretation, it supports accurate transmission of scripture, mantra, and dharmic teaching—reducing misapprehension (viparyaya) and thereby aiding right knowledge (samyag-jñāna), a foundational purifier in traditional thought.