Agni Purana

भवेन्मध्यमसन्दर्भन्नातिकुत्सितविग्रहम् । वृत्तच्छायाहरं वृत्तं गन्धिनैतत् किलोत्‌कटम् ।। ३३७.

When the arrangement is moderate, not excessively flawed in structure, and possesses the shadow of meter, it is called gandhi, and this is said to be utkaṭa.

आख्यायिका कथा खण्डकथा परिकथा तथा । कथानिकेति मन्यन्ते गद्यकाव्यञ्च पञ्चधा ।। ३३७.

They consider the narrative, the tale, the fragmentary story, the extended story, and the storylet to be the five forms of prose poetry.

कर्तृवंशप्रशंसा स्याद्यत्र गद्येन विस्तरात् । कन्याहरणसंग्रामविप्रलम्भविपत्तयः ।। ३३७.

Where there is elaborate praise of the author's lineage in prose, and the events of bride abduction, battle, separation, and misfortune occur.

भवन्ति यत्र दीप्ताश्च रीतिवृत्तिप्रवृत्तयः । उच्छासैश्च चपरिच्छेजो यत्र या चूर्णकोत्तरा ।। ३३७.

Where vivid customs, conduct, and actions are found, and where there are outbursts, abrupt endings, and the so-called 'fragmentary conclusion.'

. वक्त्रं वापरवक्त्रं वा यत्र साख्यायिका स्मृता । श्लोकैः स्ववंशं संक्षेपात् कविर्यत्र प्रशंसति ।। ३३७.

Where the narrative is told by the author or another speaker, it is called 'ākhyāyikā'; where the poet briefly praises his own lineage in verses.

मुख्यस्यार्थावताराय भवेद्यत्र कथान्तरम् । परिच्छेदो न यत्र स्याद्भवेद्वालम्भकैः क्कचित् ।। ३३७.

Where, for the introduction of the main subject, another story appears, and where there is no division, but sometimes there are supporting episodes.

सा कथा नाम तद्‌गर्भे निबध्नीयाच्चतुष्पदीं । भवेत् खण्डकथा यासौ परिकथा तयोः ।। ३३७.

That is called 'kathā', and within it, four-line verses should be composed; the fragmentary story is 'khaṇḍakathā', and the extended story is 'parikathā'.

अमात्यं सार्थकं वापि द्विजं वा नायकं विदुः । स्यात्तयोः करुणं विद्धि विप्रलम्भश्च तुर्व्विधः ।। ३३७.

They know the minister, merchant, or twice-born as the hero in those two; understand that the emotional tone is either pathos or separation, in twofold manner.

. समाप्यते तयोर्न्नाद्या सा कथामनुधावति । कथाख्याथिकयोर्म्मिश्रमावात् परिकथा स्मृता ।। ३३७.

Of those two, the first is concluded, and the story follows after; the mixed form of narrative and story is called 'parikathā'.

भयानकं सुखपरं गर्बे च करुणो रसः । अद्भुतोऽन्ते सुक्लृप्तार्थो नोदात्ता सा कथानिका ।। ३३७.

Where the mood is fearful or pleasant, and pathos is present within, and the marvelous at the end, with well-crafted meaning, but not exalted—such is the 'kathānikā'.

पद्यं चतुष्पदी तच्च वृत्तं जातिरितित्रिधा । वृत्तमक्षरसंख्येयमुक्थं तत् कृतिशेषजम् ।। ३३७.

A verse is a four-line stanza, and it is of three kinds: meter, type, and form; the meter is determined by syllable count, and is derived from the remainder of poetic composition.

मात्राभिर्गणना यत्र सा जातिरिति काश्यपः । सममर्द्धसमं वृत्तं विषमं पैङ्गलं त्रिधा ।। ३३७.

Where the count is by measures, that is called 'type', according to Kāśyapa; the meter is of three kinds: equal, half-equal, and unequal, called 'paiṅgala'.

सा विद्या नौस्तितीर्षूणां गभीरं काव्यसागरं । महाकाव्यं कलापश्च पर्य्याबन्धो विशेषकम् ।। ३३७.

That knowledge is for those wishing to cross the deep ocean of poetry; the epic, the collection, and the arrangement by sections are its special forms.

कुलकं मुक्तक कोष इति पद्यकुटुम्बकम् . सर्गबन्धो महाकाव्यमारब्धं संस्कृतेन यत् ।। ३३७.

The group, the independent stanza, and the treasury are the families of verse; the arrangement of sections is the epic, begun in Sanskrit.

तादात्म्यमजहत्तत्र तत्समं नाति दुष्यति । इतिहासकथोद्‌भूतमितरद्वा सदाश्रयं ।। ३३७.

There, identity is not abandoned, and what is similar is not greatly flawed; whether arising from historical tales or otherwise, it always has a foundation.

मन्त्र्दूतप्रयाणाजिनियतं नातिविस्तरम् । शक्कर्य्यातिजगत्यातिशक्कर्य्या त्रिष्टुभा तथा ।। ३३७.

In the sending of messages, the journey, and the battle, it is not overly elaborate; the 'śakkarī', 'atijagati', 'atiśakkarī', and 'triṣṭubh' meters are also used.

पुष्पिताग्रादिभिर्व्वक्राभिजनैश्चारुभिः समैः । मुक्ता तु भिम्नवृत्तान्ता नातिसंक्षिप्तस्र्गकम् ।। ३३७.

With beautiful, equal stanzas such as 'puṣpitāgra' and others, composed by noble authors; the independent stanza is for stories with remarkable events, not too brief, and with a section.

अतिशक्वरिकाष्टिभ्यामेकसङ्कीर्णकैः पररः । मात्रयाप्यपरः सर्गः प्राशस्त्येषु च पश्चिमः ।। ३३७.

The next section is made with 'atiśakvarī', 'aṣṭi', or single mixed meters; another section is by measure, and the last is praised for its excellence.

कल्पोऽतिनिन्दितस्तस्मिन्विशेषानादरः सतां । नगरार्णवशैलर्त्तु चन्द्रार्काश्रमपादपैः ।। ३३७.

The arrangement is not greatly criticized, and the wise show special regard for it; with cities, oceans, mountains, seasons, moon, sun, hermitages, and trees.

उद्यानसलिलक्रीड़ामधुपानरतोत्सवैः । दूतीवचनविन्यासैरसतीचरिताद्‌भुतैः ।। ३३७.

With garden and water sports, festivals of wine and pleasure, the messages of go-betweens, and the marvelous deeds of unfaithful women,

तमसा मरुताप्यन्यैविभावैरतिनिर्भरैः । सर्व्ववृत्तिप्रवृत्तञ्च सर्व्वभावप्रभावितम् ।। ३३७.

With darkness, wind, and other intense manifestations, and all kinds of activities, influenced by every sort of disposition,

सर्व्वरीतिरसैः पुष्टं पुष्टङ्गुणविभूणैः । अत एव महाकाव्यं तत्कर्त्ता च महाकविः ।। ३३७.

Enriched with all varieties of sentiments and adorned with excellent qualities—thus, it is called a great poem, and its creator a great poet.

वाग्वैदग्ध्यप्रधानेपि रस एवात्र जीवितम् । पृथक्प्रयत्ननिर्व्वर्त्यं वाग्वक्रिम्नि रसाद्वपुः ।। ३३७.

Even when skill in speech is foremost, here, sentiment alone is the life; the form of speech is separately crafted, but its true body is made of sentiment.

चतुर्व्वर्गफलं विश्वग्व्याख्यातं नायकाख्यया । समानवृत्तिनिर्व्यूढः कौशिकीवृत्तिकोमलः ।। ३३७.

Its fruit is the fourfold aim of life, explained universally through the hero's story; composed in the same meter, gentle in the style of Kauśikī.

कलापोऽत्र प्रवासः प्रागनुरागाह्वयो रसः । सविशेषकञ्च प्राप्त्यादि संस्कृतेनेतरेण च ।। ३३७.

Here, the garland is exile, and the sentiment called 'prior love'; with special features, attainment, and the rest, both in Sanskrit and otherwise.

श्लोकैरनेकैः कुलकं स्यात् सन्दानितकानि तत्। मुक्तकं श्लोक एकैकश्चमत्कारक्षमः सतां ।। ३३७.

A group of many verses is called a kulaka, those bound together; a single verse, independent, is a muktaka, fit to delight the wise.

सूक्तिभिः कविसिंहानां सुन्दरीभिः समन्वितः . कोषो ब्रह्मापरिच्छिन्नः स विदग्धाय रोचते ।। ३३७.

A treasury, adorned with the beautiful sayings of lion-poets and lovely women, endless as Brahma, pleases the discerning.

आभासोपमशक्तिश्च सर्गे यद्भिन्नवृत्तता । मिश्रं वपुरिति ख्यातं प्रकीर्णमिति च द्विधा ।। ३३७.

When, in a composition, there is the power of simile and resemblance, and a diversity of meters, it is known as 'mixed form,' also called 'scattered.'

श्रव्यञ्चैवाबिनेयञ्च प्रकीर्णं सकलोक्तिभिः ।। ३३७.

That which is both to be heard and enacted, with all types of expressions, is called 'scattered.'