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CHAPTER IV LITERARY MERITS OF VISNUSMRTI : Its style, Metre, Figures of Speech etc. The Visnusmrti or Vaisnavadharmasastra or Visnusutra is a peculiar work. It is peculiar in the sense that the dharmasutras like Apastamba, Baudhayana and others are composed in terse prose aphorisms while the dharmasastra or smrti works like the Manusamhita, Yajnavalkya smrti and so on are composed in versified form in classical sanskrit, The Visnusmrti is composed both in sutra form and metrical verses. Unlike other sutra works on dharmasastra, it may perhaps be a peculiar phenomenon of this work. It is seen that some of the sutras of the Visnusmrti are connected together in the Yajnavalkyasmrti in versified form. On the otherhand it may perhaps be that some verses or slokas of the Yajnavalkya smrti are broken into sutra form in the Visnusmrti The chapters of the Visnusmrti are not uniform in length. The longest chapter is the chapter 5 with 197 aphorisms, out of which 183 aphorisms are in prose and 14 aphorisms are in verse. The shortest chapters are 34,39,40 42 and 76. These chapters have two aphorisms each one in prose and the other in verse.

133 The Visnusmrti has quoted a good number of vedic mantras as well as we find innumerable verses composed in metrical forms of the classical type. Almost all the chapters of the Visnusmrti have one or more verses at the end. The chapters 54 and 96 have a verse in the middle of the chapter. The chapters 1,99 and 100 entirely consist of verses while the chapter 74 is entirely in prose. Some Vedic mantras in full are quoted in the chapters 48, 73 and 86. On the otherhand some mantras are referred to in chapter 56 in their conventional technical names such as aghamard sana, Devakrta, Sudhavatyah, taratsamandiya, kusmandyah, candrasama, ablingam, atharvasirah and so on. The Pratikas or initial part of some of the vedic mantras are quoted in chapters 65 and 67. several mantras quoted in the Visnusmrti are found to be quoted in the kathakagrhysutra. The Visnusmrti resembles the Vasisthadharmasutra in style and in treatment of the subjects. Some of the sutras in chapter 56 of the visnusmrti are found identical with those of the samkhasmrti. The worship of vasudeva described in the Visnusmrti is similar to that of the Visnudharmottara. It seems that the Visnusmrti knows the pancaratra system, as the vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha incarnations. The seven days of the week with the deities presiding over them, the twenty seven naksatras with their Presiding deities and the fifteen lunar days i.e. tithis are mentioned in connection with the performance of sraddha ceremonies with specific objects.

134 The verses, in the Visnusmrti, are composed in different metres based on the vedic Anustubha and Tristubh particularly such as the classical sloka or Anustup, Indravajra, upendravajra vasantatilaka etc. It may perhaps be stated that the author of the Visnusmrti has used different figures of speech (alamkara) such as the Rupaka upama, arthantaranyasa etc. It may not be that the verses enumerated in the Visnusmrti do not conform to the rules of sanskrit poetics (alamkara sastra) yet the verses of the Visnusmrti are good examples of fine poetry. An attempt will be made here to discuss the metres and the figures of speech of the verses in short occuring in the Visnusmrti. METRES : It has already been stated that the author of the Visnusmrti has employed different metres as enumerated in classical sanskrit. The majority of the verses found in the Visnusmrti are composed in the classical sloka or Anustup metre based on the vedic Anustubh metre. The Anustubh metre is defined in the Rkpratisakhya as consisting of theiry two letters (aksara) divided into four quarters (padas), each quarter t

135 having eight letters. 1 o on the other hand, the sloka or anustup metre in classical sanskrit is a samavrtta metre. It consists of four quarters (Padas) and each quarter consists of eight letters. The fifth letter is short, the sixth long and the seventh is alternately long and short. The 2 verses occuring in the chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XX, XXI, XXIII, XIV, XV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL, XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLIX, L, LI, LII, LIII, LIV, LV, LVII, LVIII, LX, LXI, LXII, LXIII, LXIV, LXV. LXVI, LXVII, LXVIII, LXIX, LXX, LXXI, LXXIII, LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIV, LXXXV, LXXXVII, LXXXVIII, LXXXIX, XC, XCI, XCII, XCIII, XCIV, XCV, XCVI, XCVII, XCVIII, of the Visnusmrti are composed in classical sloka or Anustup metre based on the vedic Anustubh metre. The verses found in the chapters LXXXVI are composed in Anustubh, indravajra and Upendravajra XIX, LIX, LXXII, 1. dvatrimsadaksaranustup catvaro'staksarah samah// Rik-pratishakhya , 16/37 sastaksarairanustup syaccatuspacca // Agneya chandahsarah, 3/6 trtiyamanustup catvaro'stakah // Katyayana, 2. sloke sastham gururjneyam sarvatra laghu pancamam / dvi catuh padayohhrasvam saptamam dirghamanyayoh // Chandomanjari

136 3 metres. The Indravajra and Upendravajra metres of classical Sanskrit are based on the Vedic Tristubh metre. The Vedic Tristubh metre consists of 44 syllables divided into four quarters and each quarter has eleven syllables or letters. The Indravajra and the Upendravajra metres in classical sanskrit have 44 letters each in a verse divided into four quarters and each quarter has eleven letters. The Indravajra and Upendravajra are also samavrtta metres. 3. catuscatvarimsat tristubaksarani catuspada / ekadasaksaraih padaih // Rik-pratishakhya 16/64 ekadasaksara vai tristubgayatri 4 ksatram tristup // Shatapatha Brahmana 1.3.5.5 anadese padascatvarah. 4. Indravajra syadindravajra yadi tau jagau gah/ indravajra tau jgau g // Chandomanjari yasya pade takarau jakara-gakarau gakarasca. tad vrttamindravajra nama / Example: yasyam trisat saptamamaksaram syat hrasvam sujamghe navamanca tadvat / gatya vilaksikrtahamsakante tamindravajram bruvate kavindrah // ta(ta) ta (ta) ja (ja) ga (ga) ga (ga) Upendravajra upendravajra jatajastato gau // ibid. Contd.

137 The verses in chapters XXIX, XXX and XLVIII are composed in Anustubh or sloka metre and vedic Tristubh metre. The verses 9, and 10 of chapter XXIX, verse 47 of Chapter XXX, verse 6 of chapter XLVIII are in Vedic Tris- tubh metre. The verses in the chapter LVI are in Upendravajra while the verses in the chapter XCIX are in Indravajra, Upendravajra and in Vasantatilaka metres. The vasantatilaka is a variety of the vedic sakvari metre. The vedic akvari metre consists of 56 syllables divided into four quarters and each quarter has fourteen syllables. The Vasantatilaka metre of classical Sanskrit also consists of four quarters in a verse and each quarter has fourteen syllables. The 5 Contd. 4. 5. upendravajra jtau jgau g // yasya pade jakara-takara-jakara-gakarau ca, tadvrttamupendravajra nama/ Example: ja (ja) ta (ta) ja (ja) ga (ga) ga (ga) bhavannakhah kundadalasriyo ye namanti laksmistanalakhane'pi / upendra: vajradhikakarkasatvam katham gataste ripudaranayam // atra padante yatih / pimgala 6/21 satpancasattu sakvari // anadese padascatvarah. Vasantatilaka Rik-pratishakhya 16/81 jneyam vasantatilakam tabhaja jagau gah// Chandomanjari

138 verses in chapter 100 are composed in classical Anustubh and Upendravajra metres. It is conspicuous that there is not a single verse in chapter LXXIV of the Visnusmrti. It is well known that the vedic metres are computed in accordance with the number of syllables (aksara) or letters. The most important metres in the vedas are seven in number, viz. Gayatri, usnik, Anustubh, Brhati, pameti, Tristubh and Jagati. The Gayatri metre generally consists of three quarters (padas) and each quarter consists of eight syllables (aksara), totalling twenty four syllables in a verse. The other metres usnik, Anustubh, Brhati, Painkti, Tristubh and Jagati are increased by four syllables in the verses of each of the succeeding metres from the Gayatri. 6 It may perhaps the vedic metres are enumerated in an ascending order in respect of the number of syllables in order to compute the particular metre. on the other hand, the metres of the verses in classical sanskrit have no fixed order in respect of the number of syllables or letters like those of the Vedic metres, though the samavrtta metres are determined by computing the syllables. 6. gayatryusniganustup ca brhati ca prajapateh / pamktistristubjagati ca sapta chandamsitani ha // astaksara prabhrtini // caturbhuyah param param // Rik-pratishakhya 16/1-2 gayatri sa caturvimsatyaksara / astaksarastryah padascatvaro va sadaksarah // Rik-pratishakhya , 16/16

139 It has already been stated that the classical Anustup or sloka metre is based on the vedic Anustubh metre. The classical sloka metre has four quarters (padas) consisting of eight letters or syllables in each quarter. The fifth syllable is short, the sixth long and the seventh is alternately long and short in each quarter. The following verses from the Visnusmrti composed in the sloke metre is quoted as an example. nila pamkajapatraksim 1 saradendunibhananam / alisamghalakam subhram bandhujivadharam subham // natatayivadhe doso hanturbhavati kascana / prakasam vaprakasam va Vishnu-smriti 1/22 manyustanmanyumrcchati // Vishnu-smriti 5/191 The following verse occuring in the chapter 19 of the Visnusmrti is composed in the Indravajra metre. duhkhanvitanam mrtabandhavana masvasanam kuryuradinasttvah / vakyaistu yairbhumi tavabhidhasye vakyanyaham tani mano'bhirame // Vishnu-smriti 19/24 The Indravajra metre is based on the Vedic Tristubh metre, so far as the number of syllables (aksara) are concerned.

140 The Indravajra also consists of four quarters and each quarter has eleven syllables or letters. The yati (pause) falls on the fifth and the sixth syllable. The upendravajra metre also consists of four quarters in a verse and each quarter has eleven syllables. This metre, too is developed from the Vedic Tristubh metre. The following verses from the Visnusmrti which are composed in the Upendravajra metre are quoted as examples : trivargasevam satatannadanam surarcanam brahmanapujanam ca / svadhyayasevam pitrtarpanam ca krtva grhi sakrapadam prayati // Vishnu-smriti 59/29 vasamyatharke ca nisakare ca taraganadhye gagane vimeghe / meghe tatha lamba payodhare ca sakrayudhadhye ca taditprakase // Vishnu-smriti 99/9 sare ca samgrama vinirgate ca sthitamrte svargasadah prayate/ vedadhvanau capyatha samkhasabde svaha svadhayamatha vadyasabde // Vishnu-smriti 99/15 The following verses of the Visnusmrti chapter 99 may be cited as example of the Vasantatilaka metre.

141 unnidrakokanadacaru kare varenye unnidrakokanadanabhigrhita pade / unnidrakokanadasadmasadasthitite unnidrakokanadamadhyasamanavarne // Vishnu-smriti 99/2 The vasantatilaka metre consists of four quarters in a verse and each quarter has fourteen syllables or letters. This metre is developed in classical Sanskrit from the Vedic sakvari metre. The Sakvari metre has fifty six syllables divided into four quarters and each quarter has fourteen syllables. It is seen from the above discussion that the verses of the visnusmrti, though composed in classical metres yet these have grauta basis. ALAMKARA It has already been stated that some of the verses of the Visnusmrti are good examples of figures of speech (alamkara) used in sanskrit poetics. The author of the Visnusmrti has used the figures of speech such as upama, Rupaka, Arthantaranyasa and so on. Some of the verses from the Visnusmrti are quoted in the following paragraphs as examples of different figures of speech used by the author.

142 The author has employed Rupaka alamkara in the description of the Yajnavaraha in the first chapter of the 7 Visnusmrti. vedapadoyupadamstrah kratudantascitimukhah / agnijihvo darbharoma brahmasirso mahatapah // Vishnu-smriti 1/3 vediskandho havirgandho havyakavyadivegavan / pragvamsakayo dyutiman nanadiksabhiranvitah // Vishnu-smriti 1/7 nilapamkajapatraksim saradendunibhananam alisamghalakam subhramm bandhujivadharam subham // vs. 1/22 7. rupakam rupitaropah (rupitaropad) visaye nirapahnave / Sahityadarpana Ch. x. yathasthite upameye upamanasyabhedaropo rupakalamkara iti saralarthah / rupayati upamanopameyayorabhedaropanam karotiti rupakamiti vyutpattih // ibid, commentary.

143 The author has used upama alamkara also in the Visnusmrti. The following verses may be taken into account as examples of upama.8 mrnalakomalau bahu karau kisalayopamau / rukmastambhanibhavuru gudhe liste ca januni // Vishnu-smriti 1/25 jamghe virome susame padavatimanoramau / jaghanam ca ghanam madhyam yatha kesarinah sison // Vishnu-smriti 1/26 padanyasairvasumatim sapadmamiva kurvatim // rupayauvana sampannam vinitavadupasthitam // evam vrttasya nrpateh silonchenapi jivatah / vistiryate yaso loke tailabindurivambhasi // Vishnu-smriti 1/29 8. Samyam vacyamavaidharmyam vakyaikya upama dvayoh Sahityadarpana x.17.

144 praja sukhe sukhi raja tadduhkhe yasca duhkhitah / sa kirtiyukto loke 'smin pretya svarge mahiyate // Vishnu-smriti 3/97-98 The Arthantaranyasa alamkara is also found to be used by the author of the Visnusmrti. The following verses may be cited as examples of Arthantaranyasa.⁹ yathadhenu sahasresu vatso vindati mataram / tathapurva krtam karma kartaram vindate dhruvam // Vishnu-smriti 20/47 dehino'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara / tatha dehantarapraptirdhirastatra na muhyati // grhnatiha yatha vastram tyaktva purvadhrtam narah / grhnatyevam navam dehi deham karmanibandhanam // Vishnu-smriti 20/49-50 9. samanyam va visesena visesastena va yadi karyanca karanenedam karyena ca samarthyate/ sadharmyenetarenarthantaranyaso'stadha tatah// Sahityadarpana X/80

145 dharmarthau yatra na syatam susrusa vapi tadvidha / tatra vidya na vaktavya subham bijamivosare // Vishnu-smriti 29/8 The chapter 99 of the Visnusmrti is also full of sentiment and different figures of speech. It may perhaps be said that the Visnusmrti differs to a great extent from other works on the dharmasastra literature and this work may perhaps be said to show the transition of vedic style to classical style as we find here the admixture of vedic and classical style. The Visnusmrti, therefore, occupies an important place in the development and the study of the history of the dharmasastra literature as it is treated as one of the Mulasmrtis.