Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric /104

48
 
A Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric
 
3
 
<headword>उत्प्रेक्षा<headword>
 
उत्प्रेक्षा Utprekṣā : Poetic Fancy :
 

 
The word utprekṣā (ut pra √īkṣ ac àā) literally means guess, conjecture,

perceiving, looking upward, looking with attention. Rhetorically it

means fanciful observation with attention, to compare one thing with other

fancifully, imagining of one object under the character of another.

Therefore, Utprekṣā is a variety of poetic fancy where the poet

images one thing as almost identical with another. Here the poet
fancifully describes the upameya and the upamāna as almost similar

fancifully describes the upameya and the upamāna as almost similar
to each other in some respects. In such figurative statement, one

object is fancifully imagined as something else, but not truly itself.

Here some standard object of poetic description as the contexual

one (ie the upameya such as the beautiful face) is represented, as if,

the thing compared to it (ie the upamāna such as the moon or the

rose). So the poet imagines the moon as being almost the face.
 

 
Though based on the fanciful idea of close similarity Utprekṣā

differs from similar figures like Upamā, Rūpaka, Apahnuti, Pariņāma

and Sandeha. Unlike Upamā Utprekṣā exhibits not mere resem-

blance, but strong likeness between two things. In Utprekṣā, there is

neither total super-imposition (āropa) like Rupaka, nor conceal-

ment like Apahnuti. Utprekṣā is both identification (adhyavasāna)

and supposition (sambhaāvana) and not super-imposition (āropaṇa).

Such identification occurs in two ways siddha and säāddhya. In the

first case, one object is totally absorbed with the other, but when

such absorption is in process, it is known as säāddhya. The first vari-

ety of identification is to be found in the figure Atiśayokti and the

second one is the basis of Uprekṣā. As Upamā is eulogised as the

mother of figurative expression so Utprekṣā is called the supreme figurative

beauty like the graceful smile of the newly married girl. According to

Keśavamiśra it is the soul of all rhetorical figures (sarvālamṃkāra-sar-

vasvam) and the successful use of such an alamkāra adds special
ṃkāra adds special
charm to all poetic expressions. Characteristic features of Utprekṣā

may be noted as follows:
 
Digitized by
 
-
 

(i) words denoting comparison such as iva, nūnam, manye,

dhruvam, śamke are common,
 
ṃke are common,
(ii) such words mentioned above may or may not be used,
 
Google
 
Original from
 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN