Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 5
काव्यगुणविवेकः
Examination of the Qualities of Poetry
शब्दमाश्रयते काव्यं शरीरं यः स तद्गुणः श्लोषो लालित्यागाम्भीर्यसौकुमार्यमुदारता
śabdamāśrayate kāvyaṃ śarīraṃ yaḥ sa tadguṇaḥ śloṣo lālityāgāmbhīryasaukumāryamudāratā
Ang tula ay umaasa sa mga salita; ang “katawan” ng tula ay yaong pinagsasaligan nito, at ang mga guṇa nito ay: śleṣa (siksik at tusong pagpapahayag, madalas may dalawang saysay), kagandahang-makinis, lalim, pagkamapino at banayad, at kadakilaan (udāratā).
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Provides a checklist of core poetic guṇas for composition and critique, emphasizing śabda (diction) as the body of poetry and naming key qualities to cultivate.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śabda-śarīra of Kāvya and the Five Guṇas","lookup_keywords":["śabda-śarīra","kāvya-guṇa","śleṣa","lālitya","gāmbhīrya"],"quick_summary":"Poetry rests on words as its body; its principal qualities are śleṣa, elegance (lālitya), depth (gāmbhīrya), delicacy (saukumārya), and grandeur (udāratā)."}
Concept: Form (śabda) is the vehicle-body of poetry; excellence is a set of cultivable virtues rather than mere ornament.
Application: Use the five guṇas as an editing rubric: tighten śleṣa without obscurity, maintain lālitya, add gāmbhīrya through layered sense, keep saukumārya in sound, and aim for udāratā in scope.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya and Alankara)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Agni presents a ‘body of poetry’ metaphor: a manuscript shaped like a human figure labeled śabda-śarīra, with five radiant tags—śleṣa, lālitya, gāmbhīrya, saukumārya, udāratā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic human-form manuscript with five labeled guṇa emblems around it, Agni teaching, stylized flames and lotus borders, earthy tones","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central manuscript-body motif with embossed gold labels for the five guṇas, Agni with gold halo, rich ornamentation and temple backdrop","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional chart aesthetic: manuscript-body diagram and five guṇa callouts, fine linework, subdued palette, classroom scene","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier scene with a diagrammatic folio showing śabda-śarīra and five guṇas in elegant calligraphy, scholars discussing, intricate textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: शब्दमाश्रयते→शब्दम् आश्रयते; तद्गुणः→तत्-गुणः; श्लोषो (as given) normalized to śleṣaḥ (common reading); लालित्यागाम्भीर्यसौकुमार्यमुदारता→lālitya-agāmbhīrya-saukumārya-mudāratā (dvandva list).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: earlier śabdālaṅkāra section (śleṣa etc.); Agni Purana: forthcoming elaborations of guṇas and doṣas in the same kāvya-guṇa-viveka adhyāya
FAQs
It imparts kāvya-vidyā (Sanskrit poetics): defining poetry as word-based and listing core poetic guṇas—śleṣa, elegance, depth, delicacy, and grandeur—used to evaluate and compose refined literature.
By treating alankāra-śāstra alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and other sciences, it shows the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic scope—preserving systematic literary theory (kāvya structure and qualities) within a Purāṇic framework.
While primarily technical, it supports dhārmic culture by promoting truthful, elevated, and aesthetically disciplined speech; such refined expression is traditionally viewed as purifying, conducive to good saṃskāras, and supportive of dharma through instructive literature.