Kuntaka’s evaluation of Sanskrit literature
by Nikitha. M | 2018 | 72,578 words
This page relates �(c): Grammatical figurativeness or pratyaya-vakrata� of the study on the evaluation of Sanskrit literature with special reference to Kuntaka and his Vakroktijivitam from the 10th century CE. This study reveals the relevance of Sanskrit poetics in the present time and also affirms that English poetry bears striking features like six figurativeness taught by Kuntaka in his Vakroktijivita, in which he propounds the vakrokti school of Sanskrit literary criticism.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
3.8 (c): Grammatical figurativeness or pratyaya-
[Full title: A brief sketch of the contents of ղǰپīٲ, (8): Six divisions of Vakratā, (c): Grammatical figurativeness or pratyaya-]
Grammatical figurativeness creates through the peculiar use of affixes, which are mainly divided into six varieties as tense (), case (첹), number (ṅk), person (ܰṣa), voice (upagraha) and pratyaya.
In the where time has got its extreme beauty because of the utmost presence of propriety is known as . For example:-
samaviṣamanirviśeṣ� samantato mandamandasaṃjārā�/
acirādṣyԳپ panthāno manorathānāmapi durlaṅghyā�//[1]
Here a young separated lover, who is already tormented by the pangs of separation, thinks about the depth of the pangs of separation in the upcoming rainy season. Here the lover is anxious about his future and the word ṣyԳپ denoting the future tense creates a special charm, which is known as vaicitrya.
Interchange of 첹s based on their importance and unimportance is known as 첹. An example for this is a last line from one of the verse of Ѳṭa첹, which is as follows:-
yācñām dainyaparigrahapraṇayinīm nekṣvākava� śṣi� ٲ� 첹 raghukule maulau nibaddho� ñjali� /
sarvam tadvihita� tadāpyudadhinā naivoparodha� ṛt� ṇi� samprati me ṻ kimapara� spraṣṭu� dhanurdhāvati//[2]“T ṣvܲ have never been trained in anything like beggary which delights in humiliating oneself. Has anyone ever known an instance of scion of Raghus raising his folded hands in abject supplication? Yet all this has been done (by me i.e 峾). But the ocean shows no consideration at all. There is no other go left now. Hence my hand rushes all of a sudden to wield the bow.�[3]
Here instead of saying that he would like to take the arrows with his hands, the poet says that his hand rushes to wield the bow. Here the poet considers the subject as hand which creates a special charm to this particular context.
When the poet deliberately interchanges the numbers for creating vaicitrya is known as ṅk屹. Here the poet uses singular or dual number in the place, where actually other number is essential. He may use two different numbers in a same sentence for creating this type of .
As an example to this, Kuntaka quotes the last line from one of the famous verses from ñԲśܲԳٲ of , which is:-
Here the poet uses the word vayam instead of saying aham, which means the poet use plural ‘we� instead of the singular ‘I� for indicating that ٳṣyԳٲ is really a stranger to ŚܲԳٲ and also shows that there is no deep relation between them at that moment.
In certain situations the poet deliberately uses the third person in the place of first and second person for attaining extra charm to the particular context is known as oblique beauty of person or ܰṣa. Moreover the use of noun in the place of pronoun is also a division of this . Kuntaka quotes a verse from 貹ٲᲹ as an example to oblique beauty of person. Here for the sake of the Kingdom, king Udayana was forced to marry ʲ峾屹ī but the minister ۲ܲԻⲹṇa feels it difficult to convey this directly to the queen 岹ٳ, then he says that �ٳ ī svayam�.[5] Here instead of saying ‘you� the madhyamaܰṣa 峾 the poet used prathamaܰṣa for enhancing the poetic charm.
Sometimes in particular situations when both the ٳԱ貹岹 and parasmaipada affixes are suitable, the poet chooses the most suitable one among them for creating an extraordinary aesthetic delight and it is known as upagraha. For eg:-
tasyāpareṣvapi mṛgeṣu śarān mumukṣo� karṇāntametya bibhide nibiḍo� 辱ṣṭ�/
trāsātimātracaṭulai� smarayatsunetrai� prauḍhapriyānayanavibhramaceṣṭitāni//[6]“About to discharge arrows on the other deer also as he was, the tightened grip of his fist (on the bowstring) beside the ear loosened of its own accord. For, then their eyes exceedingly tremulous in fright reminded him of the sweet glances of his beloved expert in love�[7]
Here the poet intent to say that the king ٲśٳ withdraws his arrows from some deer’s in the forest because their eyes resemble the eyes of his beloved. But instead of saying in such a manner the brilliant poet says that seeing such resemblance the bowstring of ٲśٳ loosened itself without taking any deliberate attempt from him. For denoting ٳԱ貹岹 the poet used the word �bibhide� in the verse mentioned above.
Where a new suffix is added to a usual suffix to create striking beauty is known as pratyaya. For eg:-
līnam vastuni yena sūkṣmasubagam tattvam kṛṣyate nirmātum prabavenmanoharamidam vācaiva yo vā �/
vande dvāvapi tāvaham kavivarau Իٲ峾 tam punar-yo vijñātapariśramo� ⲹԲǰ屹ṣa�//[8]
This is an unknown verse from an unknown poet. Here the poet says that:-
“Worthy is the poet who can draw the subtle essence of beauty hidden in nature. Worthy is the master of speech who can create things of beauty by his own words. Both are poets great and he salutes them indeed. But his best salutation goes to a third one who can know their labour and relieve them of their burden.�[9]
For showing the extreme salutation to the poet, the author of this verse used the word Իٲ峾, which create a striking beauty to this context.
These are some important varieties of pratyaya. Kuntaka also says that pada is an another variety of pratyaya, here the upasargas (prepositions) and Ծٲ (indeclinables) suggest that rasas are the one and only essence of a sentence or a poem
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ibid,p.308.
[2]:
ibid,p.116.
[3]:
ibid,pp.401-402.
[4]:
ibid,p.315.
[5]:
ibid,p.317.
[6]:
ibid,p.319.
[7]:
ibid,p.405.
[8]:
ibid,p.120.
[9]:
ibid,p.406.