Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 12
Rudra-śānti (रुद्रशान्ति)
अरिमादौ तथान्ते च दूरतः परिवर्जयेत् सिद्धः सुसिद्धश् चैकार्थे अरिः साध्यस्तथैव च
arimādau tathānte ca dūrataḥ parivarjayet siddhaḥ susiddhaś caikārthe ariḥ sādhyastathaiva ca
‘اَری’ نامی لفظ/آواز کو ابتدا میں بھی اور انتہا میں بھی دور رکھ کر ترک کرنا چاہیے۔ ایک ہی مقصود معنی میں ‘سِدّھ’ اور ‘سُو-سِدّھ’ کہے جاتے ہیں؛ اسی طرح ‘اَری’ اور ‘سادھْیَ’ بھی (اسی طور) موسوم ہوتے ہیں۔
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Alamkara","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Phonetic/lexical doṣa-avoidance in mantra and composition: avoid placing the sound/word ‘ari’ at the beginning or end; understand technical labels (siddha, susiddha, ari, sādhya) as single-sense designations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ari-Doṣa and the Terms Siddha/Su-siddha, Ari/Sādhya (Ekārtha)","lookup_keywords":["ari-ādi-anta-varjana","dūrataḥ","ekārtha","siddha-susiddha","sādhya"],"quick_summary":"The term ‘ari’ is to be kept away from the opening and closing positions; the verse also states that ‘siddha’ and ‘su-siddha’ (and likewise ‘ari’ and ‘sādhya’) can function as equivalent technical labels within one intended meaning."}
Alamkara Type: Śabda-śuddhi (doṣa-parihāra) / technical nirukti within śāstra-style discourse
Concept: Śabda-niyama: correctness and placement of sounds/words affects efficacy and acceptability; technical synonymy is admitted when the intended sense is one.
Application: In drafting mantras or formal verses, avoid ‘ari’ at the margins (ādi/anta) and use the accepted technical labels consistently for the intended prayoga.
Khanda Section: Sahitya-shastra (Kavya-śāstra / Poetics and Rhetoric)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A diagram-like manuscript page showing a mantra/verse line with the syllable ‘ARI’ crossed out at the first and last positions, and placed safely in the middle; marginal notes label ‘siddha’, ‘susiddha’, ‘sādhya’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural aesthetic applied to a teaching scene: guru pointing to a palm-leaf with ‘ARI’ marked at edges as forbidden, bold Sanskrit letters, warm ochres and greens, stylized classroom in a temple corridor.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, guru and disciple seated, gold-leaf emphasis on the corrected mantra margins, decorative borders framing the manuscript, clear ‘ARI’ at edges shown as avoided, didactic devotional ambience.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional layout: manuscript close-up with annotations, fine brushwork, minimal background, emphasis on textual placement rules and labels ekārtha/siddha/sādhya.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a munshi-like scholar correcting a text, red ink marks at beginning and end where ‘ARI’ is disallowed, detailed stationery objects, elegant calligraphy and border illumination."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अरिमादौ = अरिम् + आदौ; तथान्ते = तथा + अन्ते; सुसिद्धश् = सुसिद्धः; चैकार्थे = च + एकार्थे; साध्यस्तथैव = साध्यः + तथा + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 324 (sections on mantra-doṣa, śabda-lakṣaṇa, siddha/sādhya classifications)
FAQs
It imparts a technical rule from Sanskrit poetics/śāstra: a specific element termed “ari” should be avoided at the opening and closing positions, and it lists classification labels (siddha, susiddha, ari, sādhya) used when a passage is intended to convey a single sense.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa includes systematic śāstra material; here it preserves technical terminology from kāvya/alaṅkāra traditions—showing the text’s role as a compendium spanning literary theory alongside dharma, polity, medicine, and warfare.
While primarily literary-technical, it supports dharmic speech (śuddha-vāk) by promoting disciplined, well-formed expression—valued in recitation, teaching, and transmission of sacred knowledge.