अधिकारी च सम्बन्धो विषयश्च प्रयोजनम् ।
अवश्यमेव वक्तव्यं शास्त्रादौ तु चतुष्टयम् ॥
adhikārī ca sambandho viṣayaś ca prayojanam |
avaśyam eva vaktavyaṁ śāstrādau tu catuṣṭayam ||
(Unknown Source; cited in the Amṛta-ṭīkā to Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇam: Maṅgalācaraṇa, 1)
“The eligible person (adhikārī), the relationship (sambandha), the topic (viṣaya), and the purpose (prayojana)—these four must be stated at the beginning of a śāstra.”
Alternate versions:
sambandhaś cādhikārī ca viṣayaś ca prayojanam |
vinānubandhaṁ granthādau maṅgalaṁ naiva śasyate ||
sambandhaś cādhikārī ca viṣayaś ca prayojanam |
granthādau tena vaktyavaṁ tasmāc chāstrāṁ praśasyate ||
granthādau eva vaktavyam anubandha-catuṣṭayam ||
viṣayaś cādhikārī ca granthasya ca prayojanam |
sambandhaś ca caturtho’stīty anubandha-catuṣṭayam ||
viṣayaś cādhikārī ca sambandhaś ca prayojanam |
anubandhavinā granthe maṅgalaṁ naiva śasyate ||