2023-03-20 17:24:18 by ramamurthys
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<headword>दृष्टान्त</headword>
दृष्टान्तः Dṛṣṭāntaḥ : Exemplification :
The word dṛṣṭānta simply means an example, illustration or instance.
Etymologically it is dṛṣṭa meaning (drs√dṛś ta <kta) found, seen or
proved and antaḥ meaning the final ascertainment, the truth, the result.
So Dṛṣṭānta rhetorically means concluding ascertainment about the sub-
ject of discussion. It is Dṛṣtānta where the subject of discussion or the
intended object is finally proved, confirmed or ascertained by an
example presented therein as an illustration.
It is Udbhaṭa who recognised this figure of speech for the first
time. According to him, in this figurative expression, an object or
its attributes are reflected on another object similar to it.
Therefore, it is a kind of reflective representation of an identical
object. Dṛṣṭānta is an assertion illustrated by an example.
Conditions of Dṛṣṭānta are as follows:
(i) the two objects based on similitude are connected by the
relation of type-and-prototype (biṃba-pratibiṃba),
(ii) words like yathā, iva denoting resemblance are not
directly used,
(iii) the idea of mutual similitude between the two is always
implied.
But the mutual relation of type-and-prototype being the basic
feature of this figure has not been mentioned by all. According to
Bhoja, Dṛṣṭānta is the same as Sāmya (The Equal) which has fourfold
varieties -- Pūrva (the former), uttara (the latter), sama (the equal)
and the viparīta (the opposite). Dṛṣṭānta is distinct from
Prativastūpamā (Peculiar Simile) in some respects though there is
some sort of implied resemblance in both of them. In Dṛṣṭānta, the
attributes expressed in two sentences are similar but not identical,
while in Prativastūpamā, the attribute as stated in both the state-
ments though same in quality is stated in different words.
e.g. 1. aviditaguṇāpi satkavi-bhaṇitiḥ karṇeṣu vamati madhu-dhārām,
anadhigata-parimalāpi hi harati dṛśaṃ mālatī-mālā.
अविदितगुणापि सत्कविभणितिः कर्णेषु वमति मधुधाराम् ।
अनधिगत-परिमलापि हि हरति दृशं मालतीमाला ॥
दृष्टान्तः Dṛṣṭāntaḥ : Exemplification :
The word dṛṣṭānta simply means an example, illustration or instance.
Etymologically it is dṛṣṭa meaning (
proved and antaḥ meaning the final ascertainment, the truth, the result.
So Dṛṣṭānta rhetorically means concluding ascertainment about the sub-
ject of discussion. It is Dṛṣtānta where the subject of discussion or the
intended object is finally proved, confirmed or ascertained by an
example presented therein as an illustration.
It is Udbhaṭa who recognised this figure of speech for the first
time. According to him, in this figurative expression, an object or
its attributes are reflected on another object similar to it.
Therefore, it is a kind of reflective representation of an identical
object. Dṛṣṭānta is an assertion illustrated by an example.
Conditions of Dṛṣṭānta are as follows:
(i) the two objects based on similitude are connected by the
relation of type-and-prototype (biṃba-pratibiṃba),
(ii) words like yathā, iva denoting resemblance are not
directly used,
(iii) the idea of mutual similitude between the two is always
implied.
But the mutual relation of type-and-prototype being the basic
feature of this figure has not been mentioned by all. According to
Bhoja, Dṛṣṭānta is the same as Sāmya (The Equal) which has fourfold
varieties -- Pūrva (the former), uttara (the latter), sama (the equal)
and the viparīta (the opposite). Dṛṣṭānta is distinct from
Prativastūpamā (Peculiar Simile) in some respects though there is
some sort of implied resemblance in both of them. In Dṛṣṭānta, the
attributes expressed in two sentences are similar but not identical,
while in Prativastūpamā, the attribute as stated in both the state-
ments though same in quality is stated in different words.
e.g. 1. aviditaguṇāpi satkavi-bhaṇitiḥ karṇeṣu vamati madhu-dhārām,
anadhigata-parimalāpi hi harati dṛśaṃ mālatī-mālā.
अविदितगुणापि सत्कविभणितिः कर्णेषु वमति मधुधाराम् ।
अनधिगत-परिमलापि हि हरति दृशं मालतीमाला ॥