Agni Purana

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.

तदसामयिकत्वञ्च ग्राम्यत्वञ्चेति पञ्चधा । छान्दसत्वं न भाषायामविस्पष्टमबोधतः ।। ३४७.

Thus, there are five: non-conventionality and vulgarity as well. Poetic diction is not used in common speech; obscurity is due to lack of understanding.

गूढ़ार्थता विपर्य्यस्तार्थता संशयितार्थता । अविस्पष्टार्थता भेदास्तत्र गूढ़ार्थतेति सा ।। ३४७.

Hidden meaning, reversed meaning, doubtful meaning, and unclear meaning—these are the divisions, with hidden meaning being the first.

यत्रार्थो दुःखसंवेद्यो विपर्य्यस्तार्थ्ता पुनः । विवक्षितान्यशब्दार्थप्रतिपत्तिर्मलीमसा ।। ३४७.

Where the meaning is painfully experienced, that is hidden meaning; reversed meaning is when the intended meaning is wrongly understood by the words, and thus is impure.

अन्यार्थत्वासमर्थत्वे एतामेवोपसर्पतः । सन्दिह्यमानवाच्यत्वमाहुः संशयितार्थतां ।। ३४७.

When the meaning is other than intended or not possible, and this is approached, it is called doubtful meaning, or ambiguity.

दोषत्वमनुबध्नाति सज्जनोद्वेजनादृते । असुखोच्चार्य्यमाणत्वं कष्टत्वं समयाच्युतिः ।। ३४७.

A fault is established except when it causes distress to good people. When something is hard to pronounce or deviates from convention, it is called difficulty.

असामयितता नेयामेताञ्च मुनयो जगुः । ग्राम्यता तु जघन्यार्थप्रतिपत्तिः शलीकृता ।। ३४७.

This is to be understood as non-conventionality, as the sages have said. Vulgarity is the understanding of a low or base meaning, which is to be avoided.

वक्तव्यग्राम्यवाच्यस्य वचनात्स्मरणादपि । तद्वाचकपदेनाभिसाम्याद्भवति सा त्रिधा ।। ३४७.

By uttering, recalling, or using words for what should not be spoken in public, the fault arises in three ways: by speech, by recollection, and by similarity with the word expressing it.

दोषः साधारणः प्रातिस्विकोऽर्थस्य स तु द्विधा । अनेकभागुपालम्भः साधारण इति स्मृतः ।। ३४७.

A fault is said to be common or particular to the meaning; the common one is known as the reproach that applies to many parts.

क्रियाकारकयोर्भ्रंशो विसन्धिः पुनरुक्तता । व्यस्तसम्बन्धता चेति पञ्च साधारणा मताः ।। ३४७.

The five common faults are considered to be: omission of action or agent, faulty connection, repetition, and disjointed relation.

अक्रियत्वं त्रियाभ्रंशो भ्रष्टकारकता पुनः । सर्त्त्र्यादिकारकाभावो विसन्धिः सन्धिदूषणम् ।। ३४७.

Absence of action, omission of the triad, loss of the agent, absence of the agent such as the doer, faulty connection, and corruption of connection are described.