The backdrop of the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa
by Dhrubajit Sarma | 2015 | 94,519 words
This page relates “Alamkara (1): Anuprasa or alliteration� as it appears in the case study regarding the Srikanthacarita and the Mankhakosa. The Shrikanthacarita was composed by Mankhaka, sometimes during A.D. 1136-1142. The Mankhakosa or the Anekarthakosa is a kosa text of homonymous words, composed by the same author.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 5a - Alaṃkāra (1): Գܱ or alliteration
Among the śabdālaṃkāras, Գܱ (alliteration) is regarded as prominent one. According to վśٳ Ჹ, Գܱ consists in the recurrence of the same letters, even if, there be difference in vowels.[1] That is to say Գܱ exists in the similarity of consonants, not withstanding the dissimilarity of vowels. Գܱ is found to be employed in abundance in the Śī첹ṇṭٲ. Apt and natural employment of this ṃk offers melody and rhythm to the composition. The poet produces a soundeffect by the ṃk, when he describes that the arrows of the enemies slipped off the skinny body of ṛṅṭi.[2] The alliteration with harshsounding letters creates, as if, the sound of the stroke of arrows. That is to say that the ṃk Գܱ is in harmony with the relevant rasa viz. ī. Examples of Գܱ are plenty in the Śī첹ṇṭٲ. In the verse, ᾱٰṛtԲṅg貹ٲṅg[3] …�, there is repetition of the conjunct Բṅg in the words aԲṅg, 貹ٲṅg, which results in Գܱ. In the verse, yo lambodarakumbha[4] …� also, there are repetition as in ṅk, pṅkja; ⲹٱ, ⲹٱ, ԻԻ岹�. վśٳ comments that Գܱ or single alliteration consists in a similarity occuring once and in more than one way among collection of consonants.[5] Some examples of Գܱ in the Śī첹ṇṭٲ are I.1, 11, 12, 19, 22, 23; II. 46, 49; III. 12, 13, IV. 36, 59 etc.
Again, ṛtٲⲹԳܱ[6] (harmonious alliteration) occurs in similarity among a number of consonants coming twice or more in the same order or in reverse order. In the verse, ś’bṃkṣ�[7] ……etc. there is repetition of na and la in ṛṇ in the same order, so it stands as an example of Vṛtyanuprāsa. Moreover, other varieties of Գܱ, such as Śrutyānuprāsa, Antyānuprāsa and ṭānܱ are also dealt with in the Śī첹ṇṭٲ. The Śrutyānuprāsa[8] (melodious alliteration) occurs in a similarity among consonants alone, as being pronounced by the same organ of speech, such as the palate, the teeth or the like. The Antyānuprāsa[9] (final alliteration) is that kind of alliteration, in which a consonant and its predicament unaltered together with the foregoing vowel, is repeated at the end of words or lines. The ṭānܱ[10] is said to occur, where there is the repetition of sound and sense, when there is a difference in mere purport. Some other examples of Գܱ in general, appeared in the Śī첹ṇṭٲ may be referred-I. 10, 21; II. 10;III. 6, 25, 27; IV. 1, 2, 3, 49; VI. 3, 47, 73; VII. 11, 22, 29, 47, 49, 54, 56, 62, 66; XXIII. 11, 18, 19.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
anuprāsa� śabdasāmya� vaiṣamye’pi svarasya yat/
Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 3
[2]:
hathakaṭhinaviṭṅkkīkasaskhvalitaniśātavipakṣasāyaka�/
kavacaparicayānapekṣatāmabhajata bhṛṅgiriṭeraho vapu�// Śī첹ṇṭٲ., XXIII. 18
[3]:
Ibid., I. 1
[4]:
Ibid., IV. 59
[5]:
cheko vyañjanasaṅghasya sakṛtsāmyamanekadhā/
Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 3
[6]:
anekasyaikadhā sāmyamasakṛdvāpyanekadhā/
ekasya sakṛdapyeṣa vṛttyanuprāsa ucyate// Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 4
[7]:
Śī첹ṇṭٲ., IV. 3
[8]:
uccāryatvādyadekatra sthāne tāluradādike/
sādṛśya� vyañjanasyaiva śrutyanuprāsa ucyate// Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 5
[9]:
vyañjana� cedyathāvastha� sahādyena svareṇa tu/
āvartyate’ntyayojyatvādantyānuprāsa eva tat// Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 6
[10]:
śabdarthayo� paunaruktya� bhede tātparyamātrata�/
lāṭānuprāsa ityukta�// Sāhityadarpaṇa., X. 7