Agni Purana

शब्दालङ्कारमाहुस्तान् काव्यमीमांसका विदः । छाया मुद्रा तथोक्तिश्च युक्तिर्गुम्फनया सह ।। ३४२.

The scholars of poetics call these ornaments of sound: shadow, gesture, expression, and arrangement, along with weaving together.

वाकोवाक्यमनुप्रासश्चित्रं दुष्करमेव च । क्षेया नवालङ्कृतयः शब्दानामित्यसङ्करात् ।। ३४२.

Alliteration, verbal arrangement, artful composition, and difficulty—these are to be known as the nine ornaments of words, without confusion.

तत्रान्योक्तेरनुकृतिश्छाया सापि चतुर्व्विधा । लोकच्छेकार्भकोक्तीनामेकोक्तेरनुकारतः ।। ३४२.

There, imitation of another's expression is called 'shadow', and it is fourfold: imitation of worldly speech, children's speech, and the speech of a single person.

आभाणकोक्तिर्लोकोक्तिः सर्व्वसामान्य एव ताः । यानुधावति लोकोक्तिश्छायामिच्छन्ति तां बुधाः ।। ३४२.

A saying spoken by the common people is called a popular maxim; all such are generally applicable. The wise pursue the shadow of such popular sayings, desiring them.

छेका विदग्धा वैदग्धयं कलासु कुशला मतिः । तामुल्लिखन्ती छेकोक्तिश्छाया कविभिरिष्यते ।। ३४२.

A clever and skillful intellect, adept in the arts, is called wit; when it expresses itself, that is known as a witty saying, which poets desire as a shadow.

अव्युत्पन्नोक्तिरखिलैरर्भकोक्त्योपलक्ष्यते । तेनार्भकोक्तिश्छाया तन्मात्रोक्तिमनुकुर्व्यती ।। ३४२.

An unrefined utterance, marked by childish speech, is recognized as a child's saying; thus, the shadow of a child's saying imitates only that kind of speech.

विप्लुताक्षरमश्लीलं वचो मत्तस्य तादृशी । या सा भवति मत्तोक्तिश्छायोक्ताप्यतिशोभते ।। ३४२.

Speech that is disordered, obscene, and like that of a drunkard is called a drunken saying; even its shadow, when spoken, shines greatly.

अभिप्रायविशेषेण कविशक्तिं विवृण्वती । मुत्‌प्रदायिनीति सा मुद्रा सैव शय्यापि नो मते ।। ३४२.

By a special intention, revealing the poet's power, that which gives delight is called a seal; but that seal is not considered a resting place by us.

उक्तिः सा कथ्यते यस्वामर्थकोऽप्युपपत्तिमान् । लोकयात्रार्थविधिना धिनोति हृदयं सतां ।। ३४२.

That is called a saying which, though meaningful in itself, is also reasonable, and by the rule of worldly conduct, delights the hearts of the virtuous.

उभौ विधिनिषेधौ च नियमानियमावपि । पिकल्पपरिसङ्ख्ये च तदीयाः पड़थोक्तयः ।। ३४२.

Both injunction and prohibition, as well as rule and non-rule, and in the enumeration of alternatives, their respective sayings are to be understood.

अयुक्तयोरिव मिथो वाच्यवाचकयोर्द्वयोः । योजनायै कल्प्यमाना युक्तिरुत्ता मनीषिभिः ।। ३४२.

The connection imagined between two things, as between what is to be expressed and its expression, even if not properly related, is called a device by the wise.

पदञ्चैव पदार्थश्च वाक्यार्थमेव च । विष्योऽस्याः प्रकारणं प्रपञ्चश्चेति षड्‌विधः ।। ३४२.

A word, the meaning of a word, the meaning of a sentence, the subject, the context, and the elaboration—these are its sixfold domains.

गुम्फना रचनाचर्य्या शब्दार्थक्रमगोचरा । शब्दानुकारादर्थानुपूर्व्वार्थेयं क्रमात्त्रिधा ।। ३४२.

Arrangement, the skill of composition, and the order of words and meanings—by imitation of sound, by sequence of meanings, thus, this is threefold in order.

उक्तिपत्युक्तिमद्वाक्यं वाकोवाक्यं द्विधैव तत् । ऋजुवक्रोक्तिभेदेन तत्राद्यं सहजं वचः ।। ३४२.

A saying that gives rise to another saying is called a saying upon a saying, and it is twofold: by the distinction of direct and indirect speech, the first is natural speech.

अग्निरुवाच स्यादावृत्तिरनुप्रासो वर्णानां पदवाक्ययोः । एकवर्णाऽनेकवर्णावृत्तेर्व्वर्णगुणो द्विधा ।। ३४३.

Agni said: Repetition is alliteration, occurring in letters, words, and sentences; the quality of a letter is twofold, being repetition of a single letter or of several letters.

एकवर्णगतावृत्तेर्ज्जायन्ते पञ्च वृत्तयः । मधुरा ललिता प्रौढा भद्रा परुषया सह ।। ३४३.

From the repetition of a single letter arise five styles: sweet, delicate, strong, auspicious, and harsh.

मधुरायाश्च वर्गान्तादधो वर्ग्या रणौ स्वनौ। ह्रस्वस्वरेणान्तरितौ संयुक्तत्वं नकारयोः ।। ३४३.

In the sweet style, the repeated letters are at the end of a group, below the group, in battle sounds, or separated by a short vowel, and the conjunction of nasals.

न कार्य्या वर्ण्यवर्णानामावृत्तिः पञ्चमाधिका । म्हाप्राणोष्मसंयोगप्रविमुक्तलघूत्तरौ ।। ३४३.

There should not be repetition of unpronounceable or inappropriate letters more than five times; the lighter ones are free from aspirates and sibilant combinations.

ललिता बलभूयिष्ठा प्रौढा या पणवर्गजा । ऊद्‌र्ध्वं रेफेण युज्यन्ते नटवर्गोनपञ्चमाः ।। ३४३.

Delicate style is the most forceful; strong style arises from the group of stops; above, they are joined with 'r', and the non-nasal letters of the group are not fifth.

भद्रायां परिशिष्टाः स्युः परुषा साऽभिधीयते । भवन्ति यस्यामूष्माणः संयुक्तास्तत्तदक्षरैः ।। ३४३.

In the auspicious style, the remaining letters are used; that which is called harsh contains sibilants joined with those respective letters.

अकारवर्ज्जमावृत्तिः स्वराणामतिभूयसी । अनुस्वारविशर्गौ च पारुष्याय निरन्तरौ ।। ३४३.

Excessive repetition of vowels, except for 'a', and the close presence of anusvāra and visarga, produce harshness.

शषसा रेफसंयुक्ताश्चाकारश्चापि भूयसा । अन्तस्थाभिन्नमाभ्याञ्च हः पारुष्याय संयुतः ।। ३४३.

The letter 'ṣa' joined with 'ra', and the letter 'ka' occurring frequently, when they are not separated within a word, and 'ha' when pronounced harshly, are to be noted.

अन्यथापि गुरुर्वर्णः संयुक्ते परिपन्थिनि । पारुष्यायादिमांस्तत्र पूजिता न तु पञ्चमी ।। ३४३.

Otherwise, when a consonant is compounded with another in a difficult combination, it is considered harsh, except when the fifth letter is honored.

द्रावणि माधवी पञ्चवर्णान्तस्थोष्मभिः क्रमात् । अनेकवर्णावृत्तिर्या भिन्नार्थप्रतिपादिका ।। ३४३.

A liquid sound, the letter 'ma', and the five-lettered 'mādhavī', placed within and followed by sibilants in order, and that which has many letters and conveys a different meaning, is called 'yamaka'.

यमकं साव्यपेतञ्च व्यपेतञ्चेति तद्‌द्विधा । आनन्तर्यादव्यपेतं व्यपेतं व्यवधानतः ।। ३४३.

'Yamaka' is of two kinds: with separation and without separation. When there is no interval, it is called 'avyapeta'; when there is an interval, it is called 'vyapeta'.

द्वैविध्येनानयोः स्थानपादभेदाच्चतुर्विधम् । आदिपादादिमध्यान्तेष्वेकद्वित्रिनियोगतः ।। ३४३.

Because of this twofold division and the difference in position within the foot, there are four types: at the beginning, in the middle, at the end, or in combinations of one, two, or three positions.

सप्तधा सप्तपूर्वेण५ चेत् पादेनोत्तरोत्तरः । एकद्वित्रिपदारम्भस्तुल्यः षोढा तदापरं ।। ३४३.

If, with the sevenfold earlier division, each subsequent foot begins with one, two, or three feet, then the next division is sixfold and equal.

तृतीयं त्रिविधं पादस्यादिमध्यान्तगोचरम् । पादान्तयमकञ्चैव काञ्चीयमकमेव च ।। ३४३.

The third is threefold, occurring at the beginning, middle, or end of the foot; also, there is 'pādānta-yamaka' and 'kāñcī-yamaka'.

संसर्गयमकञ्चैव विक्रान्तयमकन्तथा । पादादियमकञ्चैव तथाम्रेडितमेव च ।। ३४३.

There is also 'saṃsarga-yamaka', 'vikrānta-yamaka', 'pādādi-yamaka', and likewise 'amreḍita-yamaka'.