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176
GLOSSARY
for whom the poetry was destined and also because in some manner
it does demonstrate the virtuosity of the "poet" who wrote it. Dandin
gives sixteen different types of conundrum in treating of prahelikā.
The Agni Purana and Rudrata give approximately the same list
of six games, but the former calls them citra (the eighth sabdálam-
kāra of nine), and the latter krīdā, appending the topic to a discussion
of citra (types [b] and [c] below), a śabdâlamkāra. In both treatments,
prahelikā is but one of six games given, the others being cyuta,
gūḍha (or gupta), praśna, and samasyā (variously subdivided to make
six).
A more important category of word play, however, is the various
kinds of patterned verses, which probably have their origin in the
figure yamaka ('cadence"). Three types can be distinguished, depend-
ing upon the principle of repetition involved. (b) Included here are
verses which, through a geometrical limitation of the sequence of
their syllables, can be read in more than one way to give the same
meaning. The most transparent example is the palindrome (pratilo-
mânuloma), which specifies that the sequence of syllables be the
same when read backwards. But the Indian authors have been
ingenious in inventing other principles of total repetition, such as
'hop-scotch' (anulomaviloma), 'zig-zag' (gomůtrika), 'criss-cross'
(muraja), 'double palindrome (sarvatobhadra), elephant-walk'
(gajapada), and 'knight-at-chess' (turagapada). The geometric 'cart-
track' (rathapada) is two palindromes separated by non-geometrical
sequences and could be taken as an example of the next type. No
specific name has been given to these geometrics. Dandin treats
them as an extension of yamaka, along with (d), following in what
he calls duşkara. The Agni Purāṇa may intend this type by its cate-
gory vikalpa duşkara, but some examples of it (sarvatobhadra) are
included in bandha duşkara (c). Rudrața and Mammața treat both
this and the next type (c) under the category citra, though Rudraţa
does not mix the examples indiscriminately, which perhaps implies
that he was aware of a difference of principle.
(c) When the principle of limitation is not applied to the entire
sequence of syllables, but requires repetition only of certain strategi-
cally placed syllables in terms of which the whole verse can be ar-
ranged in imitation of natural objects, we have a type of word play
most commonly known by the name bandha (Agni Purāṇa, Mam-
mata); examples are: khadga ('sword'), cakra ('wheel'), dhanu
('bow'), padma ('lotus'), musala ('pestle'), śara ('arrow'), śakti
GLOSSARY
for whom the poetry was destined and also because in some manner
it does demonstrate the virtuosity of the "poet" who wrote it. Dandin
gives sixteen different types of conundrum in treating of prahelikā.
The Agni Purana and Rudrata give approximately the same list
of six games, but the former calls them citra (the eighth sabdálam-
kāra of nine), and the latter krīdā, appending the topic to a discussion
of citra (types [b] and [c] below), a śabdâlamkāra. In both treatments,
prahelikā is but one of six games given, the others being cyuta,
gūḍha (or gupta), praśna, and samasyā (variously subdivided to make
six).
A more important category of word play, however, is the various
kinds of patterned verses, which probably have their origin in the
figure yamaka ('cadence"). Three types can be distinguished, depend-
ing upon the principle of repetition involved. (b) Included here are
verses which, through a geometrical limitation of the sequence of
their syllables, can be read in more than one way to give the same
meaning. The most transparent example is the palindrome (pratilo-
mânuloma), which specifies that the sequence of syllables be the
same when read backwards. But the Indian authors have been
ingenious in inventing other principles of total repetition, such as
'hop-scotch' (anulomaviloma), 'zig-zag' (gomůtrika), 'criss-cross'
(muraja), 'double palindrome (sarvatobhadra), elephant-walk'
(gajapada), and 'knight-at-chess' (turagapada). The geometric 'cart-
track' (rathapada) is two palindromes separated by non-geometrical
sequences and could be taken as an example of the next type. No
specific name has been given to these geometrics. Dandin treats
them as an extension of yamaka, along with (d), following in what
he calls duşkara. The Agni Purāṇa may intend this type by its cate-
gory vikalpa duşkara, but some examples of it (sarvatobhadra) are
included in bandha duşkara (c). Rudrața and Mammața treat both
this and the next type (c) under the category citra, though Rudraţa
does not mix the examples indiscriminately, which perhaps implies
that he was aware of a difference of principle.
(c) When the principle of limitation is not applied to the entire
sequence of syllables, but requires repetition only of certain strategi-
cally placed syllables in terms of which the whole verse can be ar-
ranged in imitation of natural objects, we have a type of word play
most commonly known by the name bandha (Agni Purāṇa, Mam-
mata); examples are: khadga ('sword'), cakra ('wheel'), dhanu
('bow'), padma ('lotus'), musala ('pestle'), śara ('arrow'), śakti