Essay name: Arts in the Puranas (study)
Author:
Meena Devadatta Jeste
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune
This essay studies the Arts in the Puranas by reconstructing the theory of six major fine arts鈥擬usic, Dance, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature鈥攆rom the Major and Minor Puranas. This thesis shows how ancient sages studied these arts within the context of cultural traditions of ancient India.
Chapter 6 - Literature in the Puranas
28 (of 59)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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314
- ALAMKARAS Like Bharata, Bh膩maha, Dandin, Udbhata, Rudrata and other rhetoricians the Agni Purana gives an elaborate description of the Alankaras (Embellishments or Ornaments). This Alankara portion of the Agni Purana is influenced by Dandin's Kavyadarsa and Bhamaha's Kavyalankara. The definitions of many Alankaras are similar. Not only that, some definitions agree verbatim with the definitions in these two works. The Agni Purana draws upon Bhoja also. Alankaras are defined as the attributes which heighten or enhance the beauty of the Kavya sarira.72 It corresponds 73 literally with the definition in the Kavyadarsa. Generally,
the Ala峁僰膩ras are classified into the Sabdalankaras and the
Arthala峁僰膩ras. The Agni Purana accepts Bhoja's three classes
of Alamk膩ras, Sabda, Artha and Ubhaya. Bhoja has discussed
24 Sabd膩la k膩ras. The Purana takes only nine of them.
74 Chaya, Mudra, Ukti, Yukti, Gumphan膩, V膩kov膩kya, Anupr膩sa,
75 Citra and Duskara. Four varieties are given of the ala峁僰膩ra
Chaya,
Loka, Cheka, Arbhaka, and Matta-ukti. Following Bhoja,
the Purana gives six varieties of Ukti and Yukti. The
Natya sastra and the Kavyadarsa do not include Anupr膩sa in the
list of the Sabdalamkaras. The Agni Purana has classified
the alankara Anupra sa into five varieties which are dependent
on the five Vrttis called Madhura, Lalita, Praudha, Bhadr膩
and Parusa. Bh膩maha mentions only two types viz. Chek膩nupr膩sa
and Latanupr膩sa. Udbhata admits three more, based on the three
