Agni Purana

अग्निरुवाच शब्दार्थयोरलङ्कारो द्वावलङ्कुरुते समं । एकत्र निहितो हारः स्तनं ग्रीवामिव त्रियाः ।। ३४५.

Agni said: Ornamentation of sound and meaning is twofold; it adorns both equally, like a necklace placed on the neck and breast of a woman.

प्रशस्तिः कान्तिरौचित्यं संक्षेपो यावदर्थता । अबिव्यक्तिरिति व्यक्तं षड्‌भेदास्तस्य जाग्रति ।। ३४५.

Praise, radiance, propriety, conciseness, adequacy, and clarity—these six distinctions are manifest in it.

प्रशस्तिः परवन्मर्म्मद्रवीकरणकर्म्मणः । वाचो युक्तिर्द्विधा सा च प्रेमोक्तिस्तुतिभेदतः ।। ३४५.

Praise is of the act that melts the heart of another; speech is of two kinds, and so is affectionate utterance, according to the distinction of praise.

प्रेमोक्तिस्तुतिपर्य्यायौ प्रियोक्तिगुणकीर्त्तने । कान्तिः सर्व्वमनोरुच्यवाच्यवाचकसङ्गतिः ।। ३४५.

Affectionate utterance and praise are synonyms, as are the expression of fondness and the glorification of virtues; radiance is the harmony of all that pleases, of what is spoken and what is meant.

यथा वस्तु तथा रीतिर्यथा वृत्तिस्तथा रसः । उर्ज्जस्विमृदुसन्दर्भादौचित्यमुपजायते ।। ३४५.

As is the subject, so is the style; as is the meter, so is the sentiment; from vigorous, gentle, and well-composed context, propriety arises.

संक्षेणो वाचकैरस्पैर्वहोरर्थस्य संग्रहः । अन्यूनाधिकता शब्दवस्तुनोर्यावदर्थता ।। ३४५.

Conciseness is the gathering of meaning by words that are not excessive; adequacy is the correspondence of word and object, with nothing lacking or superfluous.

प्रकटत्वमभिव्यक्तिः श्रुतिराक्षेप इत्यपि । तस्या भेदौ श्रुतिस्तत्र शब्दं स्वार्थसमर्पणम् ।। ३४५.

Clarity is manifestness; it is also called 'audibility' or 'suggestion'; its two divisions are 'audibility', where the word conveys its own meaning.

भवेन्नैमित्तिकी पारिभाषिकी द्विविधैव सा । सङ्केतः परिभाषेति ततः स्यात् पारिभाषिकी ।। ३४५.

It is of two kinds: conventional and technical; 'convention' and 'technicality'—thus arises the technical form.

मुख्यौपचारिकी चेति सा च सा च द्विधा द्विधा । स्वाभिधेयस्खलद्‌वृत्तिरमुख्यार्थस्य वाचकः ।। ३४५.

It is also of two kinds: literal and figurative; the figurative is the expression of a non-primary meaning, when the usual usage slips.

यया शब्दो निमित्तेन केनचित्सौपचारिकी । सा च लाक्षणिकी गौणी लक्षणागुणयोगतः ।। ३४५.

When a word, by some cause, is used figuratively, it is called 'indicative' or 'secondary', due to association with indication or quality.

अभिधेयाविनाभूता प्रतीतिर्ल्लक्षणोच्यते । अभिधेयेन सम्बन्धात्सामीप्यात्समवायतः ।। ३४५.

That is called 'indication' where the apprehension is inseparable from the indicated; through relation with the indicated, proximity, or inclusion.

वैपरीत्यात्‌क्रियायोगाल्लक्षणा पञ्चधा मता । गौणीगुणानामानन्त्यादनन्ता तद्विवक्षया ।। ३४५.

Indication is considered fivefold: by opposition, by association with action, etc.; secondary meaning is endless, because qualities are infinite and intended.

अन्यधर्म्मस्ततोऽन्यत्र लोकसीमानुरोधिना । सम्यगाधीयते यत्र स समाधिरिह स्मृतः ।। ३४५.

Where another attribute is properly applied elsewhere, in accordance with worldly limits, that is called 'samadhi' here.

श्रुतेरलभ्यमानोऽर्थो यस्माद्भाति सचेतनः । स आक्षएपो ध्वनिः स्याच्च ध्वनिना व्यज्यते यतः ।। ३४५.

When a meaning not obtained by audibility appears consciously, that is 'suggestion', and is called 'dhvani', because it is revealed by suggestion.

शब्देनार्थेन यत्रार्थः कृत्वा स्वयमुपार्जनम् । प्रतिषेध इवेष्टस्य यो विशेषोऽभिधित्सया ।। ३४५.

Where, by word and meaning, a meaning is self-generated, like a prohibition of what is desired, that special intent arises from the wish to express.

तमाक्षेपं ब्रुवन्त्यत्र स्तुतं स्तोत्रमिदं पुनः । अधिकारादपेतस्य वस्तुनोऽन्यस्य या स्तुतिः ।। ३४५.

That suggestion is called here 'praise', and this is the hymn again; the praise of another object, when the proper subject is absent, is due to the context.

यत्रोक्तं गम्यते नार्थस्तत्‌समानविशेषणं । सा समासोक्तिरुदिता सङ्‌क्षेपार्थतया बुधैः ।। ३४५.

Where the meaning is not directly stated but is inferred, that is called 'compact expression', recognized by the wise as conciseness of meaning.

अपह्नुतिरपह्नुत्य किञ्चिदन्यार्थसूचनम् । पर्य्यायोक्तं यदन्येन प्रकारेणाभिधीयते ।। ३४५.

Concealment is the act of hiding, or suggesting another meaning; 'synonymous expression' is when something is expressed in another manner.

एषामेकंतमस्येव समाख्या ध्वनिरित्यतः ।। ३४५.

Among these, the highest is called 'dhvani', thus.

काव्यगुणविवेकः । अग्निरुवाच । अलंकृतमपि प्रीत्यै न काव्यं निर्गुणं भवेत् । वपुष्य ललिते स्त्रीणां हारो भारयते परं ।। ३४६.

Agni said: Even if adorned, poetry without qualities cannot bring delight; just as a necklace, though beautiful, burdens a graceful woman.

न च वाच्यं गुणो दोषो भाव एव भविष्यति । गुणाः श्लेषादयो दोषा गुढ़ार्थाद्याः पृथक् कृताः ।। ३४६.

A quality or fault is not merely in the meaning; qualities like pun and faults like obscurity are separately established.

यः काव्ये महतीं छायामनुगृह्णात्यसौ गुणः । सम्भवत्येष सामान्यो वैशेषिक इति द्विधा ।। ३४६.

That which imparts a great radiance to poetry is called a quality; it is of two kinds: general and particular.

सर्व्वंसाधारणीभूतः सामान्य इति मन्य्ते । शव्दमर्थमुभौ प्राप्तः सामान्यो भवति त्रिधा ।। ३४६.

That which is common to all is considered general; when both word and meaning are attained, the general quality is threefold.

शब्दमाश्रयते काव्यं शरीरं यः स तद्‌गुणः । श्लेषो लालित्यगाम्भीर्य्यसौकुमार्य्यमुदारता ।। ३४६.

Poetry relies on words; the quality that forms its body is pun, elegance, profundity, delicacy, and nobility.

सत्येव यौगिकी चेति गुणाः शब्दस्य सप्तधा । सुश्लिष्टसन्निवेशत्वं शब्दानां श्लेष उच्यते ।। ३४६.

Indeed, there are seven qualities of words: literal and derivative; the harmonious arrangement of words is called pun.

गुणादेशादिना पूर्व्वं पदसम्बद्धमक्षरं । यत्र सन्धीयते नैव तल्लालित्यमुदाहृतं ।। ३४६.

Where a syllable is joined with a preceding word by means of a quality or its substitute, and not by mere conjunction, that is called elegance.

विशिष्टलक्षणोल्लेखलेख्यमुत्तानशब्दकम् । गाम्भीर्य्यं कथयन्त्यार्य्यास्तदेवान्येषु शब्दतां ।। ३४६.

Distinctive features, vivid expression, and prominent wording are called profundity by the learned; in other cases, they pertain to words.

अनिष्ठुराक्षरप्रायशब्दता सुकुमारता । उत्तानपदतौदार्य्ययुतश्लाघ्यैर्विशेषणैः ।। ३४६.

The quality of delicacy is found in words mostly free from harsh syllables, praised with distinguished, prominent expressions.

ओजः समासभूयस्त्वमेतत्पद्यादिजीवितं । आब्रह्म स्तम्भपर्य्यन्तमोजसैकेन पौरुषं ।। ३४६.

Vigor is the abundance of compounds; it is the life of verse and similar forms. From Brahma down to a blade of grass, vigor alone is manliness.