2023-02-15 09:59:26 by ambuda-bot
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Vakroktiḥ Innuendo
extended denotation) are the varieties of Vakrokti. So, according to
Vāmana's version, Vakrokti may be broadly identified with English
Metaphor. Thus we can say that any metaphorical expression is
Vakrokti, it is the essence of poetry and without it no poetry is worthy
of its name. Kuntaka, in his Vakrokti-jivita (or Vakrokti, the soul of
poetry), has given it the foremost position in the realm of literary
criticism and by his scholastic approach established that all poetic
devices known as alamkāra (figures of speech), guna (literary excel-
lences), riti (stylistic diction), lakṣanā (extended denotation), vyañjanā
(suggestive meaning) are nothing but innumerable varieties of
Vakrokti. For example, Anuprāsa (Alliteration), according to him, is a
kind of artistic syllabic pattern (varṇa-vinyāsa-vakratā); all figures
based on meaning (artha-alamkāras) are nothing but upacara-vakratā
(ie stylistic expression based on denotative or connotative sense).
Abhinavagupta has sometimes used the term vakrokti as synony-
mous to alamkāra. Daṇḍin made two broad groups of figures of
sense (artha-alamkāras) — svabhāva-ukti (natural expression) and
vakra-ukti (stylistic expression), while Bhoja gives one more divi-
sion, besides these two, which is called rasa-ukti (suggestive poetry).
But it is Bhamaha who first hinted that vakrokti stands as the basic
principle of figurative speech, and he also declares that suabhāvokti
(natural description) is no alamkāra at all. Last of all Kuntaka estab-
lished the theory of vakrokti and used it in the widest sense of the
term denoting all types of poetic art of language and beauty of
expression. Rudrata, Mammața, Visvanatha and others treated it
simply as a figure of speech and thus made its scope very limited.
According to them, Vakrokti is either a figure of word or meaning.
Mammata and his followers explain that any poetic expression used
in one sense by the speaker and then accepted in a different sense
through pun or change of tone by the hearer is called Vakrokti.
Keśavamiśra says that it is no other than Väkovākya.
-
eg 1. smṛtā bhavati tāpāya / dṛṣṭā conmādakāriņi.
spṛṣṭā bhavati mohāya / sā nāma dayitā katham.
स्मृता भवति तापाय / दृष्टा चोन्मादकारिणी ।
स्पृष्टा भवति मोहाय / सा नाम दयिता कथम् ॥
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Digitized by
141
Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
extended denotation) are the varieties of Vakrokti. So, according to
Vāmana's version, Vakrokti may be broadly identified with English
Metaphor. Thus we can say that any metaphorical expression is
Vakrokti, it is the essence of poetry and without it no poetry is worthy
of its name. Kuntaka, in his Vakrokti-jivita (or Vakrokti, the soul of
poetry), has given it the foremost position in the realm of literary
criticism and by his scholastic approach established that all poetic
devices known as alamkāra (figures of speech), guna (literary excel-
lences), riti (stylistic diction), lakṣanā (extended denotation), vyañjanā
(suggestive meaning) are nothing but innumerable varieties of
Vakrokti. For example, Anuprāsa (Alliteration), according to him, is a
kind of artistic syllabic pattern (varṇa-vinyāsa-vakratā); all figures
based on meaning (artha-alamkāras) are nothing but upacara-vakratā
(ie stylistic expression based on denotative or connotative sense).
Abhinavagupta has sometimes used the term vakrokti as synony-
mous to alamkāra. Daṇḍin made two broad groups of figures of
sense (artha-alamkāras) — svabhāva-ukti (natural expression) and
vakra-ukti (stylistic expression), while Bhoja gives one more divi-
sion, besides these two, which is called rasa-ukti (suggestive poetry).
But it is Bhamaha who first hinted that vakrokti stands as the basic
principle of figurative speech, and he also declares that suabhāvokti
(natural description) is no alamkāra at all. Last of all Kuntaka estab-
lished the theory of vakrokti and used it in the widest sense of the
term denoting all types of poetic art of language and beauty of
expression. Rudrata, Mammața, Visvanatha and others treated it
simply as a figure of speech and thus made its scope very limited.
According to them, Vakrokti is either a figure of word or meaning.
Mammata and his followers explain that any poetic expression used
in one sense by the speaker and then accepted in a different sense
through pun or change of tone by the hearer is called Vakrokti.
Keśavamiśra says that it is no other than Väkovākya.
-
eg 1. smṛtā bhavati tāpāya / dṛṣṭā conmādakāriņi.
spṛṣṭā bhavati mohāya / sā nāma dayitā katham.
स्मृता भवति तापाय / दृष्टा चोन्मादकारिणी ।
स्पृष्टा भवति मोहाय / सा नाम दयिता कथम् ॥
Digitized by
141
Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN