Agni Purana

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.'

अग्निरुवाच नाटकं सप्रकरणं डिम ईहामृगोऽपि वा । ज्ञेयः समवकारश्च भवेत् प्रहसनन्तथा ।। ३३८.

Agni said: Drama, along with the prakaraṇa, ḍima, īhāmṛga, samavakāra, and prahasana, should be known.

व्यायोगभाणवीथ्यङ्गत्रोटकान्यथ नाटिका । सट्टकं शिल्पकः कर्णा एको दुर्म्मल्लिका तथा ।। ३३८.

Vyāyoga, bhāṇa, vīthī, aṅga, troṭaka, nāṭikā, saṭṭaka, śilpaka, karṇa, eka, and durmallikā as well.

प्रस्थानं भाणिका भाणी गोष्ठी हल्लीशकानि च । काव्यं श्रीगदितं नाट्यरासकं रासकं तथा ।। ३३८.

Prasthāna, bhāṇikā, bhāṇī, goṣṭhī, hallīśaka, kāvya, śrīgadita, nāṭyarāsaka, and rāsaka likewise.

उल्लाप्यकं प्रेङ्‌क्षणञ्च सप्तविंशतिरेव तत् । सामान्यञ्च विशेषश्च लक्ष्णस्य द्वयी गतिः ।। ३३८.

Ullāpyaka and preṅkṣaṇa—these are indeed twenty-seven; and there are two paths of definition: general and particular.

सामान्यं सर्व्वविषयं शेषः क्कापि प्रवर्त्तते । पूर्व्वरङ्गे निवृते द्वौ देशकालावुभावपि ।। ३३८.

The general applies to all subjects; the rest occur in certain cases. When the preliminary stage is finished, both place and time are set.

रसभावमिभावानुभावा अभिनयास्तथा । अङ्कः स्थितिश्च सामान्यं सर्व्वत्रैवोपसर्पणात् ।। ३३८.

Sentiment, emotion, determinants, consequents, and acting, as well as the act and situation—these are general, as they are present everywhere.

विशेषोऽवसरे वाच्यः सामान्यं पूर्व्वमुच्यते । त्रिवर्गसाधनन्नाट्यमित्याहुः करणञ्च यत् ।। ३३८.

The particular is to be stated at the proper time; the general is mentioned first. Drama is said to be the means for the three aims of life, as is any action.

इतिकर्त्तव्य्ता तस्य पूर्व्वरङ्गो यथाविधि । नान्दीमुखानि द्वात्रिंशदङ्गानि पूर्व्वरङ्गके ।। ३३८.

Its procedure is as prescribed; the preliminary stage has thirty-two sections, beginning with the benediction.

देवतानां नमस्कारो गुरूणामपि च स्तुतिः । गोब्राह्मणनृपादीनामाशीर्वादादि गीयते ।। ३३८.

Salutation to the deities, praise of teachers, and the blessings of cows, Brahmins, kings, and others are sung.

नान्द्यन्ते सूत्रधारोऽसौ रुपकेषु निबध्यते । गुरुपूर्वक्रमं वंशप्रशंसा पौरुषं कवेः ।। ३३८.

At the end of the prologue, the stage-manager is bound in the plays; the order begins with honoring the teacher, then the praise of lineage, and the poet’s own merit.