Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
दद्यात् सुचरितव्रत इति ङ योजने पादहीनं स्याच्चरेत् सर्वं निपातने कान्तारेष्वथ दुर्गेषु विषमेषु भयेषु च
dadyāt sucaritavrata iti ṅa yojane pādahīnaṃ syāccaret sarvaṃ nipātane kāntāreṣvatha durgeṣu viṣameṣu bhayeṣu ca
Trong cấu trúc (yojana) “dadyāt sucaritavrata”, việc thêm hậu tố ṅa dẫn đến sự thiếu một pāda (thiếu hụt nhịp/đoạn trong thể thơ). Tuy nhiên, trong các trường hợp nipātana (cách dùng bất quy tắc nhưng được thừa nhận), nên chấp nhận mọi hình thức như vậy—như trong các cụm “ở nơi hoang dã, và ở chốn khó khăn, ở địa hình gồ ghề, và trong các mối hiểm nguy”, nơi các dạng cố định/ngoại lệ được cho phép.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narration to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Alamkara","practical_application":"Identifying metrical fault (pāda-hīnatā) arising from a specific affixal addition, and permitting irregular fixed forms under nipātana in accepted usage—useful for editors, reciters, and poets.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Ṅa-affix causing pāda-deficiency; nipātana allowance in fixed expressions","lookup_keywords":["ṅa-pratyaya","pāda-hīna","chandas-doṣa","nipātana","prayoga"],"quick_summary":"The verse notes that adding ṅa in a given construction can break metrical completeness, but that certain irregular/fixed forms are admissible under nipātana, especially in set locative expressions."}
Alamkara Type: Anushasana (technical prosodic/grammatical instruction rather than ornament)
Concept: Śāstra balances rule (vidhi) and sanctioned exception (nipātana) to preserve intelligibility and metrical integrity.
Application: When composing/reciting, prefer forms that preserve meter; where tradition fixes an irregular form, accept it as nipātana rather than forcing regularization.
Khanda Section: Chandas & Vyakarana (Prosody/Grammar) — Chandas-dosha (metrical faults) and usage rules
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned teacher points to a palm-leaf manuscript showing a metrical line; one version is marked as pāda-deficient due to an added affix, while another is accepted as nipātana in set expressions about wilderness/difficult terrain/dangers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural of a gurukula: ācārya with stylus, palm-leaf manuscript with highlighted syllable counts, students seated; side motifs depict forest, rugged path, uneven ground, and danger icons as mnemonic for the fixed expressions","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: scholarly scene with gold-bordered manuscript panels, one panel labeled pāda-hīna, another labeled nipātana, ornate but calm academic setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional diagram: metrical feet counted with akṣara marks, affix insertion shown, then a list of accepted nipātana phrases; clean composition for pedagogy","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a literary salon: grammarian and poet examining a manuscript, marginal syllable-count marks, background vignettes of wilderness and rocky passes illustrating the example phrases"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Saraswati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याच्चरेत् = स्यात् + चरेत्; कान्तारेष्वथ = कान्तारेषु + अथ. ‘ङ’ appears as a textual/recensional marker in the provided input.
Related Themes: Agni Purana chandas-prakaraṇa on doṣas and guṇas; Agni Purana vyākaraṇa notes on pratyaya and prayoga
FAQs
It teaches a technical chandas–vyākaraṇa point: certain suffix-additions (like ṅa in a given construction) can create a metrical pāda-deficiency, while traditionally sanctioned exceptions (nipātana) are still accepted in usage.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves śāstric topics like Sanskrit grammar and prosody—here discussing metrical faults (pāda-hīna) and the doctrine of accepted irregular forms (nipātana).
Indirectly, it safeguards correct recitation and textual transmission: preserving meter and sanctioned forms supports accurate chanting and study, which traditional dharma views as meritorious and purity-enhancing.