Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 5
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
गङ्गीते गो गायने स्यद् घो घण्टा किङ्किणीमुखे ताडने ङश् च विषये स्पृहायाञ्चैव भैरवे
gaṅgīte go gāyane syad gho ghaṇṭā kiṅkiṇīmukhe tāḍane ṅaś ca viṣaye spṛhāyāñcaiva bhairave
گیت (نغمہ) کے معنی میں ‘گو’ آتا ہے؛ گایَن (گانا) کے معنی میں ‘گھو’ کہا گیا ہے۔ ‘گھو’ گھنٹی اور کِنکِنی (چھوٹی گھنٹی) کے منہ/سوراخ کے لیے بھی ہے۔ تाड़ن/ضرب کے معنی میں ‘ङش्’ آتا ہے؛ اور ‘ङش्’ موضوع/وِشَی، سپرِہا (لالسا) اور بھَیرو (ہیبت ناک) کے معنی میں بھی مستعمل ہے۔
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in an encyclopedic/technical register)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Semantic indexing of syllables used as shorthand for musical/performative terms and emotive states; aids poets, dramaturges, and commentators in decoding/using compact diction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Syllable glosses: go/gho/ṅaś — song, singing, bell, striking, object, longing, Bhairava","lookup_keywords":["go gita","gho gayana","gho ghanta","ṅaś tadana","ṅaś bhairava"],"quick_summary":"Maps syllables to meanings: go = song; gho = singing and also bell/kiṅkiṇī-mouth; ṅaś = striking and also object (viṣaya), longing (spṛhā), and the fearsome (Bhairava)—useful for compact reference and layered poetic usage."}
Alamkara Type: Shlesha
Concept: Phoneme as semantic trigger across domains (music, objects of cognition, desire, and the terrible), showing contextual elasticity of śabda.
Application: Helps craft or interpret verses where a syllable evokes music/percussion or shifts to bhairava/raudra mood by context.
Khanda Section: Vyakarana / Shabda-nirukti (phonetics and lexical meanings in Agni Purana’s encyclopedic sections)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A composite scene: a singer performing (go=gīta, gho=gāyana), a bell/kiṅkiṇī being rung (gho=ghaṇṭā), a striking action (ṅaś=tāḍana), and a shadowy Bhairava presence to indicate the fearsome sense; a lexicon strip labels each syllable.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple performance vignette: vocalist and percussion, prominent bell and anklet-bells (kiṅkiṇī), dynamic striking gesture, looming Bhairava silhouette with fierce aura; bold outlines, warm palette, labeled Sanskrit syllables ‘गो घो ङश्’","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate musical tableau with gold: singer and bell, kiṅkiṇī details in gold relief, inset fierce Bhairava medallion, Sanskrit glyphs ‘गो घो ङश्’ in raised gold, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional panel showing icons for song, singing, bell, striking, object/viṣaya, longing/spṛhā, and Bhairava; clean labels and gentle shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly music scene with a bell-ringer, marginal illustration of a striking action, and a small fierce Bhairava vignette; fine calligraphy noting ‘go/gho/ṅaś’ meanings, detailed textiles and instruments"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्यद्→स्यात् (पाठभेद); स्पृहायाञ्चैव→स्पृहायाम् च एव; ङश्→ङः (विसर्ग-लोप/लिप्यन्तर)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Sahitya/Vyakarana kośa-style lists in ch. 347
FAQs
It imparts nirukti-style semantic mapping: specific syllables/phonemes (go, gho, ṅaś) are assigned conventional meanings (song, singing, bell, striking, desire, fearsome), useful for grammatical, lexical, and mantra/phonetic interpretation.
Beyond mythology and ritual, it preserves technical linguistic knowledge—phonetic/lexical equivalences—showing the text’s coverage of vyākaraṇa and word-meaning traditions alongside other sciences.
By clarifying sound-to-meaning conventions, it supports correct recitation and comprehension of sacred language; accuracy in śabda (sound) is traditionally linked with efficacy of prayer/mantra and the merit of properly performed rites.