Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates 鈥楢lamkara or the figures of speech (Introduction)鈥� part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.鈥擧e exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
1. 础濒补峁僰腻谤补 or the figures of speech (Introduction)
The satirical works of 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 are difficult to study and assess from literary perspective as is usually done in the case of Sanskrit 顿峁浥泍补办腻惫测补蝉, and 艢谤补惫测补办腻惫测补蝉 etc. because, the very objective and therefore the nature of composition of these works are quite different as well as exceptional. 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 has depended upon some characters (persons) of different stages of life of the society, who are placed in the works as representatives of the contemporary society. Hence, in respect of characterization, delineation of rasa and other basic components of Sanskrit 办腻惫测补蝉 much should not be expected herein as in the case of other conventional Sanskrit 办腻惫测补蝉. The theme of these works of 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 is purposefully placed for making certain improvement in the society and he utilizes his caliber as a satirist for achieving that purpose. But, it does not mean that those works of 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 are wanting in literary merits. With this background in mind, a brief assessment of the literary element of these works is done in the following few lines:
础濒补峁僰腻谤补 is one of the most important literary elements used in a poem. A 办腻惫测补 is compared with a human body. Like a human body, poetry has also a body i.e. 办腻惫测补艣ar墨ra which comprises 艣补产诲补 with a definite artha or sense and which are made charming by means of certain turns of expression to which the name of 补濒补峁僰腻谤补 is given. In one word, 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s embellish the constituent words and senses of a poem. When this embellishment relates to sound, it is called 艣补产诲腻濒补峁僰腻谤补 and when it connects to sense only then it is called 补谤迟丑腻濒补峁僰腻谤补. Bh膩maha, Da峁囜笉in, Udbhata consider 补濒补峁僰腻谤补 as an essential element of poetry. Bh膩maha accepts the view presented by some other 腻濒补峁僰腻谤颈办补 that the 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s like 搁奴辫补办补 (metaphor) etc. are the ornaments for poetry because a damsel鈥檚 face without ornaments never looks beautiful although she is charming.[1]
痴腻尘补苍补 opines that 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s are charm or beauty of a poem鈥�
He suggests that poetry should be accepted from the view point of 补濒补峁僰腻谤补鈥�
Da峁囜笉in uses the word 补濒补峁僰腻谤补 in a general sense with the implication that which causes beauty in poetry鈥�
办腻惫测补艣obh膩kar膩n dharm膩nala峁卥膩r膩n pracak峁te.[4]
痴颈艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补 compares 补濒补峁僰腻谤补 to the bracelets and earrings that worn by a damsel鈥�
补濒补峁僰腻谤腻艣肠补办补峁璦办补-办耻峁囜笉补濒腻诲颈惫补迟.[5]
For him, as the ornaments enhance beauty of a girl so as the 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s of a poem heighten its beauty. The 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s are mentioned by him as non-permanent attributes of a word and its sense.[6] He considers 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s as the cause of heightening rasa or sentiment. Bharata speaks of four 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s only-鲍辫补尘腻 (simile), 搁奴辫补办补 (metaphor), 顿墨辫补办补 (illuminator) and Yamaka (repetition of words or rhyme).
碍峁尘别苍诲谤补, in his satirical poems uses simple 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s. He has not employed much 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s. For him, 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s are only external embellishments.
In the 础耻肠颈迟测补惫颈肠腻谤补肠补谤肠腻[7], he remarks thus鈥�
parasparopak膩rarucira艣abd膩rtharupasya 办腻惫测补蝉ya upamotprek峁Ｄ乨ayo ye pracur膩la峁僰膩r膩ste ka峁璦kaku峁囜笉alakey奴rah膩r膩divad ala峁僰膩r膩 eva, b膩hya艣obh膩hetutv膩t.
碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 uses very simple words in his poems, stays away from lengthy compounds. The figures of speech used by 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 are apt to the occasion and are drawn from the sphere of daily life. They lack lustre and do not look prominent.鈥�[8] In his satirical poems, 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 uses both the varieties of 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s viz. the 艣abd膩l补濒补峁僰腻谤补 and the 补谤迟丑腻濒补峁僰腻谤补. The 补濒补峁僰腻谤补s employed in the satirical poems are as follows-
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
a. r奴pak膩dir补濒补峁僰腻谤补stasy膩nyairbahudhodita岣�/
na k膩ntamapi nirbh奴峁峁� vibh膩ti vanit膩nana峁�// K膩vy膩la峁僰膩ra ,I.13 b.
anena v膩garthavid膩mala峁卥峁泃膩 vibh膩ti n膩r墨va vidagdhama峁囜笉an膩// ibid.,III.58
[2]:
K膩vy膩la峁僰膩ras奴trav峁泃ti , I.I.2
[3]:
ibid., I.I.1
[4]:
K膩vy膩dar艣a , II.1
[5]:
厂腻丑颈迟测补诲补谤辫补峁嘺 , I.p. 22
[6]:
艣abd膩rthayorasthir膩 ye 诲丑补谤尘腻岣� 艣辞产丑腻迟颈艣腻测颈苍补岣�/
ras膩d墨nupakurvanto鈥檒a峁僰膩r膩ste鈥� 峁単ad膩divat// ibid.,X.1
[7]:
础耻肠颈迟测补惫颈肠腻谤补肠补谤肠腻 , P.5
[8]:
Suryakanta, Dr., 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 Studies, p.31