Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana
by Gaurapada DÄsa | 2015 | 234,703 words
Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s Sahitya-kaumudi covers all aspects of poetical theory except the topic of dramaturgy. All the definitions of poetical concepts are taken from Mammata’s Kavya-prakasha, the most authoritative work on Sanskrit poetical rhetoric. Baladeva Vidyabhushana added the eleventh chapter, where he expounds additional ornaments from Visv...
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Text 7.51
(10) (13) [This shows examples of sandeha (a doubt) and ²Ô±ð²âÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹ (the meaning can only be guessed) in parts of words:]
अयà¤� à¤à¤•à¥à¤¤-चरà¥� वाकà¥à¤�-बाणैरॠअपà¤� सà¥à¤¦à¥à¤°à¥à¤œà¤¯à¤� |
तदà¥� à¤à¤¨à¤®à¥ उदयं वाञà¥à¤›à¤¨à¥� à¤à¤œ राजनà¥� पà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤¿à¤•à¥à¤·à¤£à¤®à¥� ||
ayaá¹� bhakta-caro ±¹Äå°ì²â²¹-bÄṇair[1] api sudurjayaá¸� |
tad enam udayaá¹� vÄñchan bhaja rÄjan pratiká¹£aṇam ||
Even the gods would have difficulty defeating this bhakta-cara. Therefore, O king, you, who desire prosperity, should serve him at all times.
atra kiá¹� pÅ«rvaá¹� bhaktaá¸�, uta bhakteá¹£u caratÄ«ti sandehaá¸�. ±¹Äå°ì²â²¹-Å›abdena gÄ«á¸�-Å›abdo laká¹£yate. tena ²Ô±ð²âÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹á¸� padÄṃśaá¸�. gÄ«r±¹Äåṇa-Å›abdena pÅ«rvam uttaraá¹� ca padaá¹� pari±¹á¹›t³Ù¾±á¹� na sahate. payodhy-ÄdÄv uttara-padam eva, vaá¸avÄgny-Ädau tu pÅ«rva-padam eveti bodhyam. aprayukta-²Ô±ð²âÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹yor asamarthÄntaá¸�-pÄte’pi vibhÄga-pradarÅ›anaá¹� spaá¹£á¹Ärtham. Å›abdÄnÄá¹� sarvathÄprayoge â€�samarthatvam. virala-prayoge ²Ô¾±³ó²¹³ÙÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹tvam anekÄrtha-viá¹£ayam. ²¹±è°ù²¹³ÙÄ«³Ù²¹tvaá¹� tv ekÄrthasyÄpi Å›abdasya sÄrvatrika-prayoga-virahaá¸�.
In this verse, a doubt arises: Does bhakta-cara mean “a previous devotee� or “one who goes among devotees�?[2]
The word ±¹Äå°ì²â²¹-±¹Äåṇa involves the fault called ²Ô±ð²âÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹ (the meaning can only be guessed) in a part of a word because ±¹Äå°ì²â²¹-±¹Äåṇa stands for gÄ«r-±¹Äåṇa (god). The topic is to be understood as follows. As regards gÄ«r-±¹Äåṇa, neither the first word nor the second word can tolerate being changed for a synonym without losing the sense. In payo-dhi (ocean) and the like, only the second word cannot tolerate being changed (jala-dhi is a synonym; nevertheless payo-nidhi is seen). However, in ±¹²¹á¸a±¹Äå²µ²Ô¾± (the fire at the bottom of the sea) and so on, only the first word cannot tolerate being changed (±¹²¹á¸a±¹Äå²Ô²¹±ô²¹ is a synonym).
Although the categories called aprayukta (not in usage) and ²Ô±ð²âÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹ (the meaning can only be guessed) fall within asamartha (unable to be meaningful), those subdivisions are shown for the sake of clarity. When a word cannot be used, that is asamartha. When the usage is not frequent, that is ²Ô¾±³ó²¹³ÙÄå°ù³Ù³ó²¹ (obstructed meaning), where the thing has more than one meaning. However, ²¹±è°ù²¹³ÙÄ«³Ù²¹ (not understood) (such as ±¹¾±ÂáñÄå²Ô²¹-³¾²¹²â²¹) occurs when a word is not used in all circumstances even though it has only one meaning.
Commentary:
As regards the last paragraph, Mammaá¹a only says: yadyapy asamarthasyaivÄprayuktÄdayaá¸� kecana bhedÄá¸�, tathÄpy anyair Älaá¹…kÄrikair vibhÄgena pradarÅ›itÄ iti bheda-pradarÅ›anenodÄhartavyÄ iti ca vibhajyoktÄá¸�, “Although some varieties, such as aprayukta (not in usage), are included in asamartha (unable to be meaningful), they were exemplified by previous poetical rhetoricians, therefore here they have been separately illustratedâ€� (°Äå±¹²â²¹-±è°ù²¹°ìÄåÅ›²¹ verse 206 ±¹á¹›t³Ù¾±).
Footnotes and references:
[1]: