Agni Purana

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.

उच्यमानस्य शब्देन येन केनापि वस्तुनः । उत्कर्षमावहन्नर्थो गुण इत्यबिधीयते ।। ३४६.

When a word, spoken about any object, brings forth excellence in meaning, it is called a quality.

माधुर्य्यं सम्बिधानञ्च कोमलत्वमूदारता । प्रौढ़िः सामयिकत्वञ्च तद्‌भेदाः षट्‌चकाशति ।। ३४६.

Sweetness, coherence, softness, nobility, maturity, and conventionality—these six are its divisions.

क्रोधेर्ष्याकारगाम्भीर्य्यान्माधुर्य्यं धैर्य्यगाहिता । सम्बिधानं परिकरः स्यादपेक्षइतसिद्धये ।। ३४६.

Sweetness arises from depth of anger, envy, and composure; coherence is the arrangement necessary for achieving the intended result.

यत्‌काठिन्यादिनिर्मुक्तसन्निवेशविशिष्टता । तिरस्कृत्यैव मृकदुता भाति कोमलतेति सा ।। ३४६.

Where there is a distinctive arrangement free from hardness and the like, and where roughness is excluded, that is called softness.

लक्ष्यते स्थूललक्षत्वप्रवृत्तेर्यत्र लक्षणम् । गुणल्य तदुदारत्वमाशयस्यातिसौष्ठवं ।। ३४६.

Where the mark is perceived through gross indication and tendency, the quality of nobility is the utmost refinement of intent.

अभिप्रेतं प्रति यतो निर्व्वाहस्योपपादिकाः । युक्तयो हेतुगर्भिण्यः प्रौढाप्रौढिरुदाहृता ।। ३४६.

Where means, containing reasons, are provided for the accomplishment of the intended purpose, maturity is thus described.

स्वतन्त्रस्यान्यतन्त्रस्य वाह्यान्तः समयोगतः । तत्र व्युत्पत्तिरर्थस्य या सामयिकतेति सा ।। ३४६.

Whether independent or dependent, arising from external or internal conventions, the development of meaning there is called conventionality.

शब्दार्थावुपकुर्व्वाणो नाम्नोभयगुणः स्मृतः । तस्य प्र्सादः सौभाग्यं यथासङ्‌ख्यं प्रशस्तता ।। ३४६.

That which enhances both word and meaning is remembered as the dual quality; its clarity, charm, and excellence are praised according to their order.

काको राग इकति प्राज्ञैः षट् प्रपञ्चविपञ्चिताः । पाको राग इति प्राज्ञैः पाठभेदः सुप्रसिद्धार्थपदता प्रसाद इति गीयते ।। ३४६.

The wise call it kāka or rāga; six are explained as the varieties of prapañca. The wise also call it pāka or rāga; this is a difference in reading. The words are well-known in meaning, and this clarity is praised.

उत्कर्षवान् गुणः कश्चिद्यस्मिन्नुक्तेप्रतीयते । तत्सौभाग्यमुदारत्वं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ।। ३४६.

When a certain excellence is perceived in an utterance, the learned declare that its good fortune and nobility are present.

यथासङ्‌ख्यमनुद्देशः सामान्यमतिदिश्यते । समये वर्णनीयस्य दारुणस्यापि वस्तुनः ।। ३४६.

Enumeration in the order stated is generally indicated, even when describing something harsh, at the appropriate time.

अदारुणेन शब्देन प्राशसत्यमुपवर्णनं । उच्चैः परिणतिः कापि पाक इत्यभिधीयते ।। ३४६.

Describing something unpleasant with gentle words, yet truthfully, is called pāka, a certain refinement.

मृद्वीकानारिकेलाम्बुपाकभेदाच्चतुव्विधः । आदावन्ते च सौरस्यं मृद्वीकापाक एव सः ।। ३४६.

Because of the different ways of cooking grapes, coconut water, and so on, there are four types. At the beginning and end, the sweetness is that of the grape-cooked preparation.

काव्येच्छया विशेषो यः स राग इति गीयते । अब्यासोपहितः कान्तिं सहजामपि वर्त्तते ।। ३४६.

The special quality that arises from poetic intention is called rāga. When joined with practice, it enhances even natural beauty.

हारिद्रश्चैव कौसुम्भो नीली रागश्च स त्रिधा । वैशेषिकः परिज्ञेयो यः स्वलक्षणगोचरः ।। ३४६.

Haridra (yellow), Kausumbha (saffron), and Nīlī (blue) are the three kinds of rāga. The particular one is to be known as that which is marked by its own distinctive features.

अग्निरुवाच उद्वेगजनको दोषः सभ्यानां स च सप्तधा । वक्तृवाचकवाच्यानामेकद्वित्रिनियोगतः ।। ३४७.

Agni said: The fault that causes distress among the learned is sevenfold, according to the assignment to speaker, expression, and meaning—one, two, or three at a time.

तत्र वक्ता कविर्नाम प्रथते स च भेदतः । सन्दिहानोऽविनीतः सन्नज्ञो ज्ञाता चतुर्व्विंधः ।। ३४७.

Here, the speaker is called the poet, and is of four kinds: doubtful, undisciplined, ignorant, and knowledgeable.

निमित्तपरिभाषाभ्यामर्थसंस्पर्शिवाचकम् । तद्‌भेदो पदवाक्ये द्वे कथितं लक्षणं द्व्योः ।। ३४७.

By reason or definition, the expression that touches the meaning is of two kinds: word and sentence; this is the characteristic of both.

असाधुत्वाप्रयुक्तत्वे द्वावेव पदनिग्रहौ । शब्दशास्त्रविरुद्धत्वमसाधुत्वं विदुर्बुधाः ।। ३४७.

Of incorrectness and uncommon usage, only two are faults of words. The learned know incorrectness as that which is contrary to the science of grammar.

व्युत्पन्नैरनिबद्धत्वमप्रयुक्तत्वमुच्यते । छान्दसत्वमविस्पष्टत्वञ्च कष्टत्वमेव च ।। ३४७.

Unestablished by those who know, that is called uncommon usage. Poetic diction, obscurity, and difficulty are also included.