Imagery in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 [Part 4]

Matsya Purana (critical study)

by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058

This page relates 鈥業magery in the Matsyapurana鈥� of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.

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Part 4 - Imagery in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺

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Imagery means figurative illustration in any literature. It actually represents mental images collectively.^[1]

In the words of M.H.Abrams,

鈥淚magery (that is, images taken collectively) is used to signify all the objects and qualities of sense perception referred to in a poem or other work of literature, whether by literal description, by allusion, or in the analogues used in its similes and metaphors.鈥� ^[2]

Imagery includes auditory, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), or kinesthetic (sensation of movement) as well as visual qualities. It is also said in Abrams鈥� work that, most commonly, imagery is used to signify figurative language, especially the vehicles of metaphors and similes.^[3] Imagery is the minute observation of the poet through which he can pour out the inner feelings of his heart in his writings. It enables a reader to connect the matter of description as aimed at by the poet about which the reader does not have even the abstract idea with any source available around. In short Imagery brings two similar objects in one platform.

In the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, a good number of narratives have carried imagery and the purpose of the poet is executed in the concerned references by these imageries. In most of the cases the imagery has been used as the tool for similes and metaphors. Images of moon are found abundantly in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 which represent a common imagery in Sanskrit literature. The beauty and the brightness of the moon are ever charming and that is why it is in common use for figurative illustration while describing the beauty of a lady. For example in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 the poet has compared the face of Il膩 with full moon.

Her enchanting beauty is thus conveyed to the reader through the image of beauty of the full moon

耻苍苍补迟补艣谤辞峁噄箩补驳丑补苍腻 辫补诲尘补辫补迟谤腻测补迟别办峁ａ箛补峁嚹�/
辫奴谤峁噀苍诲耻惫补诲补苍腻 迟补苍惫墨 惫颈濒腻蝉辞濒濒腻蝉颈迟别办峁峁嚹�// ^[4]

There are other instances where the image of beautiful moon is well utilised for depicting a beautiful woman.

Along with the beauty of the moon, the brilliance of the sun is also used for figurative illustration and in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 this imagery is aptly employed while describing the powerful and shining character of 笔腻谤惫补迟墨 due to her severe austerities:

箩颈迟腻谤办补箩惫补濒补苍补箩惫腻濒腻 迟补辫补蝉迟别箩辞尘补测墨 丑测耻尘腻.^[5]

Another example

蝉腻 tu t膩n vidhivatp奴jy膩n p奴jayitv膩 惫颈诲丑腻苍补迟补岣�/
uv膩c膩dityasa峁僰膩艣膩n mun墨n sapta 蝉补迟墨 艣补苍补颈岣�// ^[6]

Again the blazing fire is also taken for imagery in the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 in different contexts. For instance

dvau m膩峁� 艣ok膩vagnikalpau dahet膩峁� kacasya n膩艣astava caivopagh膩ta岣�/
kacasya n膩艣e mama 苍腻蝉迟颈 艣补谤尘补 tavopagh膩te j墨vitu峁� 苍腻蝉尘颈 艣补办迟腻// ^[7]

In this verse the pain of heart is portrayed through the image of burning fire. The double pain felt by 顿别惫补测腻苍墨 has burnt her heart just like burning fire hurts one after getting connected with it. One may not feel 顿别惫补测腻苍墨鈥檚 pain but through the imagination of the poet the reader may get the sensation through the imagery. Such image of burning fire is very catching in literary world too. The same image of fire is always a subject for comparison with anger specially in case of Lord 艢颈惫补鈥檚 wrath because when he gets angry nobody can escape but turns into ashes, just like the burning fire.

The third Eye of 艢颈惫补 became ablaze and ready to consume the whole world from the fire of wrath produced from it when 碍腻尘补诲别惫补 triggered the love-arrow at meditating Lord 艢颈惫补.

For example

迟补迟补岣� 办辞辫腻苍补濒辞诲产丑奴迟补驳丑辞谤补丑耻峁卥腻谤补产丑墨峁峁噀//
babh奴va vadane 苍别迟谤补峁� 迟峁泃墨测补尘补苍补濒腻办耻濒补尘/
rudrasya raudravapu峁 jagatsa峁僪膩rabhairavam// ^[8]

Freshness and novelty are the two major factors in the success of image. Through novelty freshness acts as the power that can reveal those things which a reader cannot even realise before.

In the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also the poet has drawn such images. An instance of this idea is:

耻惫腻肠腻苍腻惫颈濒补峁� 惫腻办测补尘补濒辫腻办峁谤补辫补谤颈蝉辫丑耻峁璦尘/
诲补颈迟测别苍诲谤补尘补谤办补惫峁沶诲腻苍腻峁� 惫颈产丑谤补苍迟补峁� 产丑腻蝉惫补谤补峁� 惫补辫耻岣�// ^[9]

The chamberlain started with a short but fully significant speech and then said to the king 罢腻谤补办腻蝉耻谤补, who was sitting brilliant as if hundreds of suns were blazing. Here the poet鈥檚 imagination helps the reader get a perfect picture of king 罢腻谤补办腻蝉耻谤补 in his brilliancy with prowess and capability everywhere just like many blazing suns.

The mighty King 驰补测腻迟颈 and his braveness is remarkable and the poet of the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 has correctly chosen the image of lion, the king of the beasts for showcasing the valour of the very king in sa 谤腻箩腻 蝉颈峁僪补惫颈办谤腻苍迟辞测耻惫腻 惫颈峁测补驳辞肠补谤补岣�.^[10]

In this way it is seen that the author of the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 has successfully used similes and metaphors in drawing the correct image as the case may be. But it must be mentioned here that the 惭补迟蝉测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 not being a poetical work and being mostly of descriptive and deductive nature, doesn鈥檛 contain a very high class of imagery as found in other literary works of Sanskrit.