ALAMKARA SCHOOL

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ALAMKARA SCHOOL
Leena Hunnargikar, 07/11/2006.
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MAIN POINTS

• History of alamkara - shastra.
• Alamkara as a school.
• Definitions of alamkara.
• Number of alamkaras.
• Types of alamkara

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History of Alamkara - shastra

• Previously the science of poetics was known as
  alamkara-shastra. Though there were rasa ,guna,
  riti, the importance was given to almkara and
  thus the whole science was called as
  alamkara-shastra. When the dhvani school becomes
  dominating this name seems to be improper. Then
  this science called as 'Sahityshastra'.

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• Five aesthetic schools are discussed by
  Sanskrit aesthetic scholars. They are 1) rasa
  school
• 2)alamkara school
• 3) Riti school
• 4)vakrokti school
• 5) dhvani school

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• The original meaning of the word alamkara is
  ornament and the same meaning is reflected in
  this term alamkara- shastra or kavyashastra the
  science of that particular element which adorns
  the poetry.

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Alamkara as a school

• Bhamaha is considered as a founder of this
  school. Udbhatta, Dandi, Rudrata, Jayadeva all
  these are the followers of this school. This
  school believes that there is rasa(emotion), riti
  ( a special style of writing) in the kavya
  (poetry) but the alamkara is dominating feature
  of it.
• - Argument with Dhvani school.

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Definition of alamkara

• The word is derived from the root Kr with the
  prefix alam. Which means to decorate, to adorn.
  Alamkaroti iti alamkarah.
• - Various definitions of Alamkara
• Vamana says in his Kavyalamkarasutra,
  Saundaryam AlamkarahBeauty is alamkara.
• Dandi says in his Kavyadarsha, Kavya
  shobhakaran dharman alamkaran prachakshate.
  (Those things which decorate the poetry are
  called alamkara.)

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Total Number of Alamkaras

• The numeber of these alamkaras is not fix.
  Mammata gives explanation of 61 artha-alamkaras
  and 6 shabd-alamkaras in his Kavyaprakasha.
  vamana explains only two shabd-alamkaras. These
  scholars give more stress on the arth-alamkaras
  they have more importance than the shabd-alamkara.

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Types of Alamkaras

• (1) Shabd-alamkara (a figure of speech depending
  for its pleasingness on sound or word).
• (2) Arth-alamkara ( embellishment of the sense by
  poetical figure.)
• When the alamkara is depends on the word it means
  if we change the word it does not appear then it
  becomes shabd-alamkara and when it depends on the
  meaning it is called as arth-alamkara.

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Shabd-alamkara

• (1)anuprasa,
• (2)yamaka
• (3)shlesh.

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Arth-alamkara

• (1)upama,
• (2)ananvaya
• (3)rupaka.

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Anuprasa (alleteration)

• In this alamkara words or syllables are
  repeated.This is mainly of two types one is
  'varnanuprasa' and the other is 'padanupras'.
• Example
• Tato arunaparispandamandikritavapuh
• dadhre kamaparikshamakaminigandapandutam
• The description of the moon when the sun is
  rising. Here syllable 'nda' and the word 'kama'
  both are repeated.

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• The padagata anuprasa, which of five types, is
  also called as a 'latanuprasa'.The words may
  appear same but they differ in meaning.
• People staying in Lata region use this style of
  speaking thus it has become famous by their name.
• Example
• Yasya na savidhe dayita davadahanstuhinadidhitista
  sya
• Yasya cha savidhe dayita davadahanstuhinadidhitist
  asya
• The meaning of this verse is For the one who is
  not in the union with his beloved, this moon
  seems to be hot as a fire. The second line says
  for the one who is in the company of his beloved
  the fire is also as pleasent as the moon. Here we
  can see the words look the same but differ in
  meaning.Here mainly uddeshata (subjectivity)and
  vidheyata (obdient)is mentioned. Properties of
  fire and moon are exchanged between them.

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Yamaka

• The repetition in the same stanza of words or
  syllables similar in sound but different in
  meaning.
• Same order of the syllables,if meaningful them
  should differ in meaning.
• Example
• sannaribharana umayam aradhya vidhushekharam
• sannaribharana amayahs tatas tvam prithivim
  jaya
• Here the word 'sannaribharana' looks same but has
  two meanings.In the 1 st line the word is related
  to Uma and the 2nd is related to a king who is
  expected to win the battles by destroying the
  elephants of enemies.

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shlesha(paranomasia , double meaning)

• Here the word have a double meaning at same
  time.Generally one meaning is expressed by one
  word but two meanings are expressed by one word
  and at the same time.
• In the example 'alamkarah shankakaranakapalam'
  the word 'vidhau' has two meanings. One is fate
  and the other is the moon.But both these meanings
  are expressed by the one word 'vidhau'. The main
  word which is used in the sense of fate is
  'vidhi'and the other is 'vidhu'. Locative of both
  of these is 'vidhau'.

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Upama (similie)

• This is the first artha-alamkara discussed in
  every aesthetic theoretical book. In this type
  there is sadharmyata(similarity)between
  upamana(with which something is compared) and
  upameya(whose comparision is done to other)are
  mentioned.

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• For Upama four things are required. (1) upamana,
  (2) upameya, (3) sadharmya (similar property),
  and (4) sadharmyavachaka shabda (the word which
  express the similiarity between them). When all
  these are present then the it becomes 'purna
  upama' and one of these is missing then it is
  called as 'lupt upama'.
• Example
• The first of 'Raghuvamsham' of Kalidas.
• upamana parvati and shankara.
• upameya vak and artha.
• sadharmyaunion, close association.
• sadharmyavachaka shabda eva.

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Ananvaya

• In this type the upamana and upameya are the
  same. The comparison is among them only. The
  difference between the latanuprasa and this is
  that, in latanuprasa one can not use other words
  and the uddeshata and vidheyata can be seen
  there. But in this type one can use a different
  word but it should be synonymous.
• In the example 'Ramaravanayor yuddham
  Ramaravanayor iva'.
• Here the upameya and upamana,both are same,
  Ramaravanayor yuddham'.

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Rupaka.

• In this type the upamana and upameya are
  identified with each other. It means that there
  is no difference in them.
• In this type the face of a woman is none other
  but the moon itself. But in Upama the difference
  is expressed by the words like eva, thatha,
  samam, tulyam etc.