Agni Purana

प्रगृह्यो गृह्यते नैव क्षतं विगतसन्धिना । कष्टपाठाद्विसन्धित्वं दुर्व्वचादौ न दुर्भगम् ।। ३४७.

What is to be taken is not taken when the connection is broken; harsh reading causes faulty connection, but in difficult passages, it is not considered a great fault.

अनुप्रासे पदावृत्तिर्व्यस्तसम्बन्धता शुभा । नार्थसंग्रहणे दोषो व्युत्क्रमाद्यैर्न्न लिप्यते ।। ३४७.

In alliteration, repetition of words and disjointed relation are considered good; there is no fault in failing to convey the meaning, nor is one tainted by irregular order and the like.

विभक्तिसंज्ञालिङ्गानां यत्रोद्वेगो न धीमतां । संख्यायास्तत्र भिन्नत्वमुप्मानोपमेययोः ।। ३४७.

Where the wise feel no disturbance from the use of case, gender, or number, difference between the compared and the comparator is not a fault.

अनेकस्य तथैकेन बहूनां बहुभिः शुभा । कवीनां समुदाचारः समयो नाम गीयते ।। ३४७.

The practice of poets is called convention: sometimes one for many, sometimes many for one, and sometimes many for many, all auspicious.

सामान्यश्च विशिष्टश्च धर्म्मवद्भवति द्विधा । सिद्धसैद्धान्तिकानाञ्च कवीनाञ्चाविवादतः ।। ३४७.

Convention is twofold, being either general or particular, and it pertains to those who uphold dharma, as well as to established theorists and poets, without dispute.

यः प्रसिध्यति सामान्य इत्यसौ समयो मतः । सर्व्वे सिद्धान्तिका येन सञ्चरन्ति निरत्ययं ।। ३४७.

That which is widely accepted is called general convention; by it, all established theorists proceed without error.

कियन्त एव वा येन सामान्यस्तेन स द्विधा । छेदसिद्धान्ततोऽन्यः स्यात् केषाञ्चिद्‌ भ्रान्तितो यथा ।। ३४७.

And whatever is accepted by only a few, that is the particular convention; it differs from the established doctrine, and for some, it arises from error.

तर्कज्ञानां मुनेः कस्य कस्यचित् क्षणभङ्गिका । भूतचैतन्यता कस्य ज्ञानस्य सुप्रकाशता ।। ३४७.

Among those skilled in reasoning, some sages hold the doctrine of momentariness; for others, consciousness belongs to elements, and for others, knowledge is self-luminous.

प्रज्ञातस्थूलताशबप्दानेकान्तत्वं तथार्हतः । शैववैष्णवशाक्तेयसौरसिद्धान्तिनां मतिः ।। ३४७.

The Arhats maintain the doctrine of the manifoldness of terms for grossness; the Śaivas, Vaiṣṇavas, Śāktas, and Sauras each have their own established views.

जगतः कारणं ब्रह्म साङ्‌ख्यानां सप्रधानकं । अस्मिन् सरस्वतीलोके सञ्चरन्तः परस्परम् ।। ३४७.

For the Sāṅkhyas, the cause of the world is Brahman together with Pradhāna; in this world of learning, they move among each other with differing views.

बध्नन्ति व्यतिपश्यन्तो यद्विशिष्टः स उच्यते । परिग्रहादप्यसतां सतामेवापरिग्रहात् ।। ३४७.

They establish their positions by mutual opposition; that which is distinguished in this way is so called, whether accepted by the true or the false, or not accepted by the true.

भिद्यमानस्य तस्यायं द्वैविध्यमुपगीयते । प्रत्यज्ञादिप्रमाणैर्यद्बाधितं तदसद्विदुः ।। ३४७.

When such a convention is divided, this twofoldness is described; whatever is refuted by primary means of knowledge, such as direct perception, is considered unreal.

कविभिस्तत् प्रतिग्राह्यं ज्ञानस्य द्योतमानता । यदेवार्थक्रियाकारि तदेव परमार्थसत् ।। ३४७.

Poets should accept the self-luminosity of knowledge; whatever produces practical results is alone the ultimate reality.

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतस्त्वेकं ब्रह्मैव परमार्थसत् । विष्णुः स्वर्गादिहेतुः स शब्दालङ्काररूपवान् ।। ३४७.

But whether through ignorance or knowledge, Brahman alone is the ultimate reality; Viṣṇu is the cause of heaven and so forth, and is possessed of the form of verbal ornament.

अपरा च परा विद्या तां ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते भवात् ।। ३४७.

There is lower and higher knowledge; by knowing that, one is liberated from worldly existence.

अग्निरुवाच एकाक्षराभिधानञ्च मातृकान्तं वदामि ते । अ विष्णुः प्रतिषेधः स्यादा पितामहवाक्ययोः ।। ३४८.

Agni said: I will tell you the meaning of each single letter up to the end of the alphabet; 'a' is Viṣṇu, and in the statements of the Creator, 'a' is negation.

सीमायामथाव्ययं आ भवेत्संक्रोधपीडयो । इः कामे रतिलक्ष्म्योरी उः शिवे रक्षकाद्य ऊः ।। ३४८.

'Ā' is imperishable at the boundary, and also indicates distress from anger; 'i' is for desire, for the marks of pleasure and Lakṣmī; 'ī' is for Śiva, for the protector, and so on; 'ū' likewise.

ऋ शब्दे चादितौ ऋॄस्यात् लृ लॄ ते वै [https://puranastudy.freeoda.com/pur_index14/diti.htm दितौ] गुहे । ए देवी ऐ योगिनी स्यादो ब्रह्मा औ महेश्वरः ।। ३४८.

'Ṛ' and 'ṝ' are for sound at the beginning; 'ḷ' and 'ḹ' are for the cave; 'e' is the goddess, 'ai' is the yoginī; 'o' is Brahmā, 'au' is Maheśvara.

अङ्कामः अः प्रशस्तः स्यात् को ब्रह्मादौ कु कुत्सिते । खं शून्येन्द्रियं खङ्गो गन्धर्व्वे च विनायके ।। ३४८.

'Aṃ' is for desire, 'aḥ' is praised; 'ka' is for Brahmā at the beginning, 'ku' is for what is base; 'kha' is for emptiness, for the senses, 'khaṅga' is for the sword, for the Gandharva and Vināyaka.

गङ्गीते गो गायने स्याद् घो घण्टा किङ्किणीमुखे । ताड़ने ङ्श्च विषयेस्पृहायाञ्चैव भैरवे ।। ३४८.

'Ga' is for the Ganges, 'gi' is for singing, 'gha' is for the bell at the mouth of the small bell; 'ṅa' is for crossing over, and for desire in objects, and also for Bhairava.

चो दुर्जने निर्म्मले छश्छेदे जिर्ज्जयने तथा । जं गीते ज्ञः प्रशस्ते स्याद् बले ञो गायने च टः ।। ३४८.

'Ca' is for the wicked, 'ci' is for the pure, 'cha' is for cutting, 'chi' is for victory; 'jaṃ' is for singing, 'jñaḥ' is for praise, 'ṭa' is for strength, 'ña' is for singing as well.

ठश्चन्द्रमण्डले शून्ये शिवे चोद्बन्धने मतः । डश्च रुद्रे ध्वनौ त्रासे ढक्कायां ढो ध्वनौ मतः ।। ३४८.

Ṭha is considered to denote the void in the lunar disc, and also in the binding of Shiva; ḍa is for Rudra, in sound, in fear, and ḍhakkā (drum); ḍha is regarded as sound.

णो निष्कर्षे निश्चये च तश्चौरे क्रोडपुच्छके । भक्षणे थश्छेदने दो धारणे शोभने मतः ।। ३४८.

Ṇa is for extraction and certainty; ṭa is for a thief and the tail of a mongoose; in eating, tha; in cutting, da; in holding and in beauty, da is regarded.

धो धातरि च धूस्तूरे नो वृन्दे सुगते तथा । प उपवने विख्यातः फश्च झञ्झानिले मतः ।। ३४८.

Dha is for the supporter and for the dhūstūra plant; na is for a group and for good movement; pa is renowned in a grove; pha is considered in the windstorm.

फुः फुत्कारे निष्फले च विः पक्षी भञ्च तारके । मा श्रीर्म्मानञ्च माता स्याद्यागे यो यातृवीरणे ।। ३४८.

Phu is for blowing and for fruitlessness; vi is for a bird; bhañ is for a star; mā is for prosperity, honor, and mother; ya is for sacrifice and for the hero among travelers.

रो वह्नौ च लः शक्रे च लो विधातरि ईरितः । विश्लेषणे वो वरुणे शयने शश्च शं सुखे ।। ३४८.

Ra is for fire, la for Indra, lo is said for the creator; in separation, vo; in Varuṇa, in lying down, śa is for happiness.

षः श्रेष्ठे सः परोक्षे च सा लक्ष्मीः सं कचे मतः । धारणे हस्तथा रुद्रे क्षः क्षत्त्त्रे चाक्षरे मतः ।। ३४८.

Ṣa is for the best; sa for what is remote; sā is Lakṣmī; saṃ is for hair; dhā is for holding, as well as for Rudra; kṣa is for kṣatriya and for the syllable akṣara.

क्षो नृसिंहे हरौ तद्वत् क्षेत्रपालकयोरपि । मन्त्र एकाक्षरो देवो भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकः ।। ३४८.

Kṣa is for Narasiṃha and Hari, and likewise for the two guardians of the field; the mantra of a single syllable is divine, granting both enjoyment and liberation.

हैहयशिरसे नमः सर्व्वविद्याप्रदो मनुः । अकाराद्यास्तथा मन्त्रा मातृकामन्त्र उत्तमः ।। ३४८.

Salutation to the head of the Haihayas; the mantra grants all knowledge; the mantras beginning with 'a' and so on, as well as the mātṛkā mantra, are supreme.