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Malatimadhava (study)

by Jintu Moni Dutta | 2017 | 52,468 words | ISBN-10: 8120813057 | ISBN-13: 9788120813052

This page relates ‘Pada-dosha (defects of word)� from the English study on the Malatimadhava of Bhavabhuti:—A Prakarana type of Drama in ten acts revolving around the love-story of Malati (from Padmāvatī) and Madhava (from Vidarbha). This study discusses the history of its author and the literary, social, religious, historical and cultural aspects of the Malatimadhava.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 5.3a - Pada-ṣa (defects of word)

Mammaṭabhaṭṭa says that 貹岹-ṣa (Defects of word) are of sixteen types. The defective word is such as�

  1. śܳپ첹ṭu (unpleasant to ear),
  2. ܳٲṃsṛtⲹ (lacking of correctness),
  3. prayukta (unconventional),
  4. asamartha (incapable of giving sense),
  5. Ծ󲹳ٳ (having its meaning supressed),
  6. Գܳٳ (having an improper signification),
  7. nirarthaka (useless),
  8. 峦첹 (not expressive),
  9. ٰśī (indecorous in three ways),
  10. sandigdha (ambiguous),
  11. īٲ (unintelligible),
  12. 峾ⲹ (vulgar),
  13. Աٳ (one whose meaning has to be guessed),
  14. ṣṭ (it is obscure),
  15. avimṛṣṭa avidheyāṃśa (having predicate factor not discriminated),
  16. ܻ󲹳پṛtٲ𱹲 (of repugnant implication only when occurring in a compound).[1]

In the ī󲹱 five defects occurring in words come to view.

These are�

  1. śܳپ첹ṭutva (The unpleasantness to the ear),
  2. nirarthakatva (uselessness),
  3. ܳٲṃsṛt (lacking of correctness),
  4. 峾ⲹٱ (vulgarity),
  5. ś (obscenity).

(i) śܳپ첹ṭutva (The unpleasantness to the ear)

The word śܳپ첹ṭutva denotes consisting of harsh letters.[2] In the ī󱹲 some words consisting of harsh letters are found in the verse 岵岵ٲṛgīṛp …ĦĦĦĦĦeٳ.[3] Herein, the letter r in 岵岵ٲ and randhra, the letter in ṅg󲹳پ are harsh and hence the verse becomes unpleasant to the ear while read.The another examples is found in the act V.16.

(ii) ܳٲṃsṛt (Lacking of correctness)

The ṣa called ܳٲṃsṛt arises from the violation of grammatical rules.[4] In the ī󲹱 ܳٲṃsṛt occurs in the verse skhalayati vacanam etc.[5] Here the word subhru is found grammatically incorrect form. Hence it becomes a case of blemish called ܳٲṃsṛt.

(iii) nirarthaka (Uselessness):

The ṣa called nirarthakatva is found when a word is used only to complete the metre of a poem and has no impact on the meaning. [6] In the ī󲹱 some verses are found with hi having no sense and use. For example in the verse vyatiṣajati padārthānāntaraḥ…………�..etc[7] wherein the letter hi does not express any sense as it has been used by 󲹱ūپ in order to complete the metre.

Other examples are�

  1. Act I- 34
  2. Act II - 7
  3. Act VI - 17
  4. Act VIII - 12

(iv) śī (Indecorous):

The ṣa called śītva or indecorous is of three kinds, implying either,

  1. (a) īḍ� (indecency),
  2. (b) ܱܲ (disgust),
  3. (c) ṅgⲹñᲹ첹 (inauspiciousness).

As for instance in the ī󲹱 this fault arises in the verse utkṛtyaotkṛtya kṛtti� …ĦĦĦeٳ[8] wherein 󲹱ūپ has used many words viz., ٰܳṛtdzٰṛtⲹ, ṛtūDZ󲹲ūṃs, ܲūīԾ which have duly suggested the existence of disgust the 2nd variety of the śī i.e. Indecorous.

(v) 峾ⲹٱ (Vulgarity):

The 峾ⲹٱ is a word that is used only by the lower order of men.[9] In the ī󲹱, this defect arises in the verse tvatvatsala� kva sa tapasvijanasya…� …Ħ�..ٳ[10] wherein the term 첹Բ屹ٲ� is used by a ṇḍ 첹ṇḍ.Where the term 첹Բ屹ṭa� is vulgar. Hence it is regarded as the defect called 峾ⲹٱ.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

屹ⲹś,VII.50-51

[2]:

śܳپ첹ṭu paruṣavarṇarupa� duṣṭam /
Ibid.

[3]:

岵岵ٲṛgīṛpkulamṛganyāyena hiṃsāruse� /
prāṇyupahāraketanajuṣa� prāptoasi me gosaram //
so’aha� prāgbhavataiva bhūtajananīmṛidhnomi khaṅgāhoti /
chinnaskandhakavandha randrarudhiraprāgbhārāniḥsyamdinā //
ī󲹱,V.29

[4]:

ܳٲṃsṛt vyākaraṇalakṣaṇahīnam /
屹ⲹś,VII.p.166

[5]:

skhalayati Բ� te sraṃsayatyaṅgamaṅgam /
janayati mukhacandrodbhāsina� svedavindūn //
mukulayati ca netre ٳ subhru khedas /
tvayi vilasati ٳܱⲹ� ǰ첹ԱԲ //
ī󲹱
, III.8

[6]:

Ծٳ󲹰첹� pādapūraṇamātraprayojana� cādipadam /
屹ⲹś,VII.170

[7]:

vyatiṣajati padārthānāntara� ko’pi hetu /
na khalu vahirupādhīnprītaya� saṃśrayante //
vikasati hi pataṅgasyodaye ṇḍī첹� /
dravati ca himaraśmāvudgate ԻԳٲ� //
ī󲹱, I.24

[8]:

utkṛtyaotkṛtya kṛttim pṛathamamatha pṛthūchophabhūyāṃsi māṃsā /
nyaṃsasphikprṛṣṭthapiṇḍādyavayavasulabhānyugrapūrtīni jagdhvā //
āttasnāyvantranetra� prakaṭitadaśana� pretaraṅkaḥkaraṅkā /
daṅkasthādasthisaṃstha� sthapuṭagatamapi kravyamavyagramatti //
Ibid.,V.16

[9]:

峾ⲹ� yatkevala� loke sthitam /
屹ⲹś,VII.p.175

[10]:

tvatvatsala� kva sa tapasvijanasya 󲹲Գ /
첹Բ屹ṭa� patirasau pairakṣatu tvām /
śyenāvapātacakitā vanavartikeva /
ki� ceṣṭase nanu cirātkavalīkṛtāsi //
Ibid., VIII.8

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