Agni Purana

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'.

चतुर्व्यवसितञ्चैव मालायमकमेव च । दशधा यमकं श्रेष्ठं तद्भेदा बहवोऽपरे ।। ३४३.

'Caturvyavasita' and 'mālā-yamaka' are also described; thus, yamaka is tenfold, with many other subdivisions.

स्वतन्त्रस्यान्यतन्त्रस्य पदस्यावर्त्तना द्विधा । भिन्नप्रयोजनपदस्यावृत्तिं त्वेकत्र विग्राहात् ।। ३४३.

The repetition of an independent or dependent word is twofold; but the repetition of a word with a different function, when separated, is considered singular.

द्वयोरावृत्तपदयोः समस्ता स्यात्समासतः । असमासात्तयोर्व्यस्ता पादे त्वेकत्र विग्रहात् ।। ३४३.

When two repeated words are joined, it is called 'samasta' (together); when not joined, it is 'vyasta' (separate), and when separated within a foot, it is considered singular.

वाक्यस्यावृत्तिरप्येवं यथासम्भवमिष्यते । अलङ्काराद्यनुप्रासो लघुमध्येवमर्हणात् ।। ३४३.

The repetition of a sentence is also accepted as possible; among figures of speech, 'anuprāsa' is considered light, medium, or excellent according to its merit.

यया कयाचिद्‌वृत्या यत् समानमनुभूयते । तद्रूपादिपदासत्तिः सानुप्रासा रसावहा ।। ३४३.

Whatever is experienced as similar through any kind of repetition, that connection of words is called 'anuprāsa', which brings forth aesthetic flavor.

गोष्ठ्यां कुतूहलाध्यायी वाग्बन्धश्चित्रमुच्यते । प्रश्नः प्रहेलिका गुप्तं च्युतदक्ते तथोभयम् ।। ३४३.

In an assembly, a composition recited out of curiosity is called 'citram' (a riddle); a question, a riddle, something hidden, something omitted, and both together are also described.

समस्या सप्त तद्‌भेदा नानार्थस्यानुयोगतः । यत्र प्रदीयते तुल्यवर्णविन्यासमुत्तरं ।। ३४३.

'Samasya' is sevenfold, with those divisions, according to the pursuit of various meanings; where a response is given with the same arrangement of letters.

स प्रश्नः स्यादेकपृष्टद्वपृष्टोत्तरभेदतः । द्विधैकपृष्टो द्विविधः समस्तो व्यस्त एव च ।। ३४३.

That is called a question, distinguished as having one or two parts in the answer; the single-part question is twofold, and the complete and separate forms are also twofold.

द्वयोरप्यर्थयोर्गुह्यमानशब्दा प्रहेलिका । सा द्विधार्थी च शाब्दी च तत्रार्थी चार्थबोधतः ।। ३४३.

A riddle is where the words of two meanings are hidden; it is of two kinds: based on meaning and based on words; the former is understood by meaning.

शब्दावबोधतः शाब्दी प्राहुः षोढा प्रहेलिकां । यस्मिन् गुप्तेऽपि वलाक्याङ्गे बाव्यर्थोऽपारमार्थिकः ।। ३४३.

When understood by the words themselves, it is called 'śābdī'; thus, a riddle is said to be sixfold. In which, even when hidden in the limbs of the phrase, the intended meaning is not the literal one.