Handbook of Classical Sanskrit Rhetoric /229

<headword>श्लेष</headword>
 
श्लेषः Ślesṣaḥ : Pun
 
P or Double Entendre : Śleṣaḥ: Pun or Double Entendre :
 

 
√ślişṣ a> ghañ = śleșṣa literally means combination, juction, union, embrace,

clinging etc. As a figure of speech Ślesa occurs where some word or
ṣa occurs where some word or
sentence yields two (or sometimes more than two) meanings

through denotation and not by implication or suggestion. It depends

on the duplicity of sense under the unity of sound and works as a play

upon word or meaning. Normally a pun gives two meanings, but
sometimes a succ
sometimes a successful pun can denote as many as six or seven mean-

ings (as we find it exhibited in some poems composed by post-

Kalidasan epic poets). Ślesṣa works upon the similarity of sound of

words whether in inflected or non-inflected position. The words

though similar in sound differ in meaning and give rise to Ślesṣa.
 

 
Ślesṣa or Pun is one of the oldest figures in language and very popu-

lar among all classes of poets. In spite of its extensive use as a very effec-

tive device of literary expression some rhetors in Sanskrit left it

untouched while some others did not define verbal pun but illustrated

what is ideal Ślesṣa. Dandin eulogised it as the most successful poetic
ṇḍin eulogised it as the most successful poetic
device that adds beauty to all types of Vakrokti or Artful Statement. There
is a dispute among rhetoricians whether Sleșa is purely a figure of

is a dispute among rhetoricians whether Śleṣa is purely a figure of
sound or sense (ie scheme or trope) or both sound and sense.

Divisions of Ślesṣa :
 

Two main divisions are
 
--
(i) Pun based on sound (sśabda-śleşṣa),
 

(ii) Pun based on sense (artha-ślesṣa),
 
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Digitized by
 

Another principal division is :
 

(iii) Pun based on both word and meaning (ubhaya-ślesṣa)

The first variety may be again twofold:
 

(a)
 
unbreakable (ie punning in the complete word) and

(b) breakable (a paronomastic word which can be recon-

structed into two or more words having pun

separately).
 

 
This sśabda-śleșṣa or a word having two or more meanings is not

capable of allowing any change for a synonymous word. But in case

of artha-śleşṣa substitution with a synonymous word is possible.
 
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Original from
 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN