Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric /108

52
 
A Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric
 
3G17
 
<headword>उदात्त</headword>
 
उदात्तम् Udaāttam: The Exalted :
 

 
ud ātta (ā √dā ta <kta) literally means elevated, lofty, exalted, noble, high,

sublime, dignified etc. As a figure of speech Udätta is the statement of
ātta is the statement of
noble qualities of things or sublime virtues of dignified personalities.

It has basic difference with Svabhāvokti (Natural Description) and

Bhaāvika (Vision). Statement of the natural qualities or fundamental

aspects or basic virtues of things is the underlying principle of these

three figures, but the difference lies on the following points:
 

(i) Svabhāvokti is a statement of the natural but attractive

qualities,
 

(ii) Bhaāvika is a statement of unreal but noble qualities, and

(iii) Udātta is a statement of imaginary as well as exalted qualities.

 
In the present figure, noble qualities or sublime virtues are

represented through poetic images and never purely normal or

natural qualities of anything. According to Rudrata's list Udātta

should be included in Avasara (Opportune), but in the Bhattikāya

such a figure is named Udāra. Hemacandra takes it as a variety

of Atisśayokti (Hyperbole) or Svabhāvokti (Natural Description). Bhoja

acknowledges it as a specific quality of word and meaning while

Dandṇḍin, Bhamaha and others treat it both as gunāmaha and others treat it both as guṇa (poetic excel-

lence of word or meaning) as well as alamṃkāra (figure of sense).
 

 
eg 1.
 
a āvirbhūto jagati suṣamāruūpo bhautike'smin

jñānātmāsu lasati bhagavān viștape mānasiṣtape mānasīye.
 

prāṇānāmṃ vā juvalati bhuvane prasphutaḥ śaktimūrtyā

premadvārā prakaṭita-tanur bhāsate caityaloke.
 

 
आविर्भूतो जगति सुषमारूपो भौतिकेऽस्मिन्

ज्ञानात्मासु लसति भगवान् विष्टपे मानसीये ।
çıvıai aı vacıfa yad grey2: vifronyruf

प्राणानां वा ज्वलति भुवने प्रस्फुटः शक्तिमूर्त्या
प्रेमद्वारा प्रकटिततनुर्भासते चैत्यलोके ॥
 

 
Of the elemental world God appeared as the harmony all things,

In the realm of psyche, the Lord manifests as knowledge incarnate,

He shines forth as the spirit in the world of living beings,
 

In consciousness, he expresses himself as Love aggregate.
 

 
In this poem, the unique qualities and subline virtues of God

have been exalted by the poet.
 
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Original from
 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN