2023-04-02 14:16:17 by ramamurthys
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Rudraṭa admits eightfold varieties of Śleṣa-based on syllable,
on word, on gender, on nominal base, on suffix, on prefix, on
number, and on declensional and conjugational terminations. He
has also given another class of Śleṣa :
(a) Pun based on meaning,
(b) based on contrast (virodha-śleṣa),
(c) based on excess (adhika-śleṣa),
(d) based on twisted meaning (vakra-śleṣa),
(e) based on pretended meaning (vyāja-śleṣa),
(f) Pun in conversation (ukti-śleṣa),
(g) based on improbablity (asambhava-śleṣa),
(h) partial pun (avayava-śleṣa),
(i) Pun for a significant idea (tattva-śleṣa).
Bhoja has mentioned another group of pun with sixfold varieties:
based on a particular word, on a sentence, on similarity, on
contrast, on case-endings and on conjugational endings.
Here it should be noted that Sanskrit language is very synthetic
in character due to its grammatical structure, and at the same time
very flexible in syntactical structure. Therefore, punning through
play upon words is comparatively easier. In vocabulary, it is per-
haps the reachest of all classical languages.
The tradition of a very rich heritage of figurative literature has
been rigouroussly followed by the writers of poetry and prose both.
Prose-writers like Bāṇa, Subandhu and others have exhibited their
masterly skill by linguistic and semantic play upon words through
alliteration, assonance, pun as well as a good number of tropes. In
late early and mediaeval period of Sanskrit literature a special type
of poetic composition called śleṣa-kāvyas, or even epic poems with
double or more meanings in every verse) was cultivated for the
exhibition of poet's skill in punning.
eg 1. sarvasvaṃ hara sarvasya / tvaṃ bhava-cchedatatpara
nayopakāra-sāmmukhyam / āyāsi tanuvarttanam.
सर्वस्वं हर सर्वस्य / त्वं भव च्छेदतत्पर ।
नयोपकारसाम्मुख्यमायासि तनुवर्त्तनम् ॥
on word, on gender, on nominal base, on suffix, on prefix, on
number, and on declensional and conjugational terminations. He
has also given another class of Śleṣa :
(a) Pun based on meaning,
(b) based on contrast (virodha-śleṣa),
(c) based on excess (adhika-śleṣa),
(d) based on twisted meaning (vakra-śleṣa),
(e) based on pretended meaning (vyāja-śleṣa),
(f) Pun in conversation (ukti-śleṣa),
(g) based on improbablity (asambhava-śleṣa),
(h) partial pun (avayava-śleṣa),
(i) Pun for a significant idea (tattva-śleṣa).
Bhoja has mentioned another group of pun with sixfold varieties:
based on a particular word, on a sentence, on similarity, on
contrast, on case-endings and on conjugational endings.
Here it should be noted that Sanskrit language is very synthetic
in character due to its grammatical structure, and at the same time
very flexible in syntactical structure. Therefore, punning through
play upon words is comparatively easier. In vocabulary, it is per-
haps the reachest of all classical languages.
The tradition of a very rich heritage of figurative literature has
been rigouroussly followed by the writers of poetry and prose both.
Prose-writers like Bāṇa, Subandhu and others have exhibited their
masterly skill by linguistic and semantic play upon words through
alliteration, assonance, pun as well as a good number of tropes. In
late early and mediaeval period of Sanskrit literature a special type
of poetic composition called śleṣa-kāvyas, or even epic poems with
double or more meanings in every verse) was cultivated for the
exhibition of poet's skill in punning.
eg 1. sarvasvaṃ hara sarvasya / tvaṃ bhava-cchedatatpara
nayopakāra-sāmmukhyam / āyāsi tanuvarttanam.
सर्वस्वं हर सर्वस्य / त्वं भव च्छेदतत्पर ।
नयोपकारसाम्मुख्यमायासि तनुवर्त्तनम् ॥