Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana

by Gaurapada Dāsa | 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...

द्वितीयं विभजति,

dvitīyaṃ vibhajati,

He subdivides the second kind of first-rate implied sense (abhidhā-mūla):

vivakṣitaṃ cānya-paraṃ vacyaṃ yatrāparas tu saḥ ||4.25ab||

vivakṣitam—is intended to be expressed; ca—and; anya-param—is one whose ultimate thing is the other (the implied meaning); vacyam—the literal sense (of one word or more); yatra—in which; aparaḥ—another; tu—but; saḥ—that (a dhvani).

The other dhvani, called vivakṣitānya-para-vācya, is an implied meaning in regard to which the literal sense is intended to be expressed and is subservient to it.

abhidhā-mūlatvād vācyaṃ yatra vivakṣitam abādhitam anya-paraṃ vyaṅgyopasarjanī-bhūtaṃ ca sa vivakṣitānya-para-vācyo nāma dhvaniḥ. iha vācyo’rthaḥ svaṃ rūpaṃ pratyāyayann eva vyaṅgyasya prakāśakaḥ, dīpa iva ghaṭasya.

The dhvani called vivakṣitānya-para-vācya is an implied meaning in regard to which the literal sense is intended to be expressed, insofar as the dhvani is based on Denotation (abhidhā-mūla)this means the literal sense is not blockedand becomes secondary to the implied meaning (anya-param = vyaṅgyopasarjanī-bhūtam).[1]

In this one, the literal sense reveals the implied meaning while bringing about the perception of itself, like a lamp reveals a clay pot [while also revealing itself].

Commentary:

Mammaṭa’s terms are taken from Dhvanyāloka. For the sake of clarity, Kavikarṇapūra only uses the terms lakṣaṇā-mūla (based on Indication) and abhidhā-mūla (based on Denotation). The first type of dhvani corresponds to avivakṣita-vācya (the literal sense is not intended to be expressed) and the second one to vivakṣitānya-para-vācya.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mammaṭa only explains anya-param as vyaṅgya-niṣṭham (the literal meaning is meant to be expressed and “is based upon the implied sense”) (Kāvya-prakāśa 4.25). Sometimes the literal sense is more charming than the implied sense.

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