Alamkaras mentioned by Vamana
by Pratim Bhattacharya | 2016 | 65,462 words
This page relates 鈥楾he early traces of Sanskrit Rhetoric鈥� of the study on Alamkaras (鈥榝igure of speech鈥�) mentioned by Vamana in his Kavyalankara-sutra Vritti, a treatise dealing with the ancient Indian science of Rhetoric and Poetic elements. Vamana flourished in the 8th century and defined thirty-one varieties of Alamkara (lit. 鈥渁nything which beautifies a Kavya or poetic composition鈥�)
Go directly to: Footnotes.
1: The early traces of Sanskrit Rhetoric
Poetics is popularly known as 鈥�础濒补峁僰腻谤补艣腻蝉迟谤补鈥�. This is because of the fact that the basic concept of Poetics revolves around the poetic figures and various other beautifying elements present in a poetic specimen which are often termed as 鈥�补濒补峁僰腻谤补蝉鈥�[1] . The popular maxim 鈥�pr膩dh膩nyena vyapade艣膩bhavanti鈥� justifies the nomenclature appropriately.
The term 补濒补峁僰腻谤补 in its technical sense was unknown in early literature. We come across the term (also as 鈥�补谤补峁僰腻谤补鈥� or 鈥�补谤补峁僰峁泃颈岣�鈥�) in Vedic literature several times[2] but no systematic treatment of the figures of speech was intended there. We also find the term 鈥�耻辫补尘腻鈥� in Vedic literature[3] and we can trace Vedic verses where the figure of speech has been loosely imparted[4] . The 搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 also consists of verses with the terms 鈥�补濒补峁僰腻谤补鈥� and 鈥�耻辫补尘腻鈥� used therein[5] . 驰腻蝉办补 in his Nirukta has cited some varieties of 耻辫补尘腻 (like 产丑奴迟辞辫补尘腻, 办补谤尘辞辫补尘腻, 蝉颈诲诲丑辞辫补尘腻, 谤补蝉辞辫补尘腻, 濒耻辫迟辞辫补尘腻, 补谤迟丑辞辫补尘腻 etc) and has also illustrated these varieties citing Vedic verses.
He also puts forth a definition of 耻辫补尘腻 and attributes it to his predecessor 骋腻谤驳测补鈥�
The famous grammarian P膩峁噄ni has often used the terms 耻辫补尘腻, 耻辫补尘腻na, upamita etc[6] . 碍腻迟测腻测补苍补 and 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈 have also discussed these terms while illustrating P膩峁噄ni鈥檚 conception. There is also a famous instance of the use of 谤奴辫补办补 in 碍补峁环辞辫补苍颈峁迟 known as the 鈥�ratha谤奴辫补办补鈥�[7] .
It is evident from the above discussion that the conception of 补濒补峁僰腻谤补蝉 and the primary figures of speech like 耻辫补尘腻, 谤奴辫补办补 etc was in vogue in the earliest Sanskrit literary specimen. The grammarians were probably the pioneers of developing the basis of Sanskrit Rhetoric. 膧苍补苍诲补惫补谤诲丑补苍补, though in a different context, has admitted the contribution of the grammarians in the field of Sanskrit Poetics[8] . The fundamental theories of Sanskrit Rhetoric were very much a part of ancient Indian studies. But a systematic, calculated and technically arranged treatment of Sanskrit Poetics probably flourished as a later discipline of Sanskrit learning and literature.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
yo'la峁僰膩ra岣� k膩vyagraha峁嘺hetutvena upanyasyate tadvyutp膩dakatv膩t k膩vya艣膩stramapi 补濒补峁僰腻谤补n膩mn膩vyapadi艣yata iti 艣膩strasya 补濒补峁僰腻谤补tvena 辫谤补蝉颈诲诲丑颈岣� 辫谤补迟颈峁ａ弓丑腻迟腻.../
鈥�碍腻尘补诲丑别苍耻, K膩vy膩la峁僰膩ras奴tra惫峁泃迟颈 (of 痴腻尘补苍补) 1.2.
[2]:
v膩yav膩y膩hi dar艣ateme som膩ara峁卥峁泃膩岣�/
鈥�峁欢惫别诲补 1.2.1.
k膩te astyara峁卥峁泃i岣�/
鈥�峁欢惫别诲补 7.29.3.
abhya帽jan膩bhya帽jane prayacchatye峁 ha m膩nu峁'la峁卥膩ra岣�/
鈥�艢atapatha Br膩hma峁嘺 3.41.36.
pretasya 艣补谤墨谤补峁� vasanena ala峁卥膩re峁嘺 sa峁僺kurvanti/
鈥�Ch膩ndogya Upani峁d 8.8.5.
艣补迟补峁� m膩lyahast膩岣� ta峁� 产谤补丑尘腻la峁卥膩re峁嘺 ala峁卥urvanti/
sa 产谤补丑尘腻-la峁卥膩re峁嘺 ala峁卥峁泃o brahmavidv膩n brahma abhipraiti/
鈥�Kau峁tak墨 Upani峁d 1.3.4.
[3]:
尘补箩箩腻尘补箩箩辞辫补尘腻/
鈥�B峁沨ad膩ra峁噛aka Upani峁d 3.9.28.
... yajate somap膩diva岣�/
鈥�峁欢惫别诲补 1.31.15.
sahasras膩m膩gnive艣im g峁涐箛墨峁 艣atrimagna 耻辫补尘腻峁� ketumarya岣�/
鈥�峁欢惫别诲补 5.34.9.
[4]:
峁欢惫别诲补 鈥�1.1.9, 1.22.20, 1.124.4, 1.124.7, 6.16.38 etc.
[5]:
ala峁卥膩ro hi n膩r墨峁嚹佱箖 k峁m膩tu puru峁sya v膩/
鈥�搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 (of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈) 1.33.7.
艣uklai岣� suvimalairda峁囜笉ai岣� prabh膩vadbhirala峁卥峁泃am/
鈥�搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 (of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈) 3.52.26.
tasminnandanasa峁卥膩艣e dev膩ra峁噛opame vane/
鈥�搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 (of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈) 3.73.29.
spha峁璱kopamatoy膩岣峢y膩峁� 艣lak峁ａ箛av膩lukasa峁僼at膩m/
鈥�搁腻尘腻测补峁嘺 (of 痴腻濒尘墨办颈) 3.75.24.
[6]:
耻辫补尘腻n膩ni s膩m膩nyavacanai岣�/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 2.1.55.
耻辫补尘颈迟补峁� vy膩ghr膩dibhi岣� s膩m膩ny膩prayoge/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 2.1.56.
tuly膩rthairatulopam膩bhy膩峁� t峁泃墨y膩nyatarasy膩m/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 2.3.72.
耻辫补尘腻na峁� 艣补产诲腻谤迟丑补辫谤补办峁泃腻惫别惫补/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 6.2.80.
耻辫补尘腻n膩cca/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 5.4.137.
耻辫补尘腻n膩dapr膩峁噄峁/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 5.4.97.
耻辫补尘腻n膩d膩c膩re/
鈥�础峁ａ弓腻诲丑测腻测墨 (of Pa峁嚹玭i) 3.10.10.