Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric /169

Pratipam : Reserved Simile
 
parison for a beautiful or famous object, or more clearly, the

upamāna (ie the standard of comparison) is condemned as super-

fluous or useless before the object which is brought into compari-

son as the standard ideal of quality for similitude.
 

 
Pratiīpa is different from Vyatireka (Contrast) though in both of

them the upameya is highlighted by its superiority from the

upamāna. Difference between the two lies in the fact that Pratipa is
īpa is
based on similitude while Vyatireka on contrast. According to

Daṇḍin, the present figure is simply a variety of Upamā, termed as

Viparyāsa upamā (ie Simile constructed in reverse order).
 

 
eg 1. tava mukhena kṛśodari candra upamiīyate janena.

तव मुखेन कृशोदरि चन्द्र उपमीयते जनेन ।
 

 
To thy face, O beauty of slender waist
 

By the people a comparison with the moon is set.

 
2. dṛṣṭamṃ ced vadanamṃ tasyāḥ kimṃ padmena kim indunā.

दृष्टं चेद् वदनं तस्याः किं पद्मेन किमिन्दुना ।
 

 
If her lovely face is seen
 

What's the use of the lotus or the moon?.
 

 
In the first statement, the common procedure of similitude

between the face and the moon has been put in a reverse way.
 
113
 

 
In the second statement, the lotus or the moon has been

declared unfit or totally superfluous before the beautiful face

which is the topic of discussion (ie technically the upameya). In

other words, it is suggested that there is no use of accepting any

standard ideal of comparison to exhibit the beauty of the face

through common similitude.
 

 
Definitions
 

 
यत्रानुकम्प्यते सममुपमाने निन्द्यते वापि ।
 

उपमेयमतिस्तोतुं दुरवस्थमिति प्रतीपं स्यात् ॥ रु. का. ८.७६

 
आक्षेप उपमानस्य प्रतीपमुपमेयता ।
 

 
तस्यैव यदि वा कल्प्या तिरस्कारनिबन्धनम् । का. प्र. १०.२०१

 
उपमानस्याक्षेप उपमेयताकल्पनं वा प्रतीपम् । अ. स. १०

 
प्रतीपमुपमानस्य हीनत्वमुपमेयतः। च. ५.६६
 
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Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN