Text 2.23

अथ व्यञ्जकं निरूपयितुं तद्-उपाधिम् उद्दिशति,

atha vyañjakaṃ nirūpayituṃ tad-upādhim uddiśati,

Now, to describe a suggestive word, he points out its characteristic:

tatra vyāpāro vyañjanātmakaḥ ||2.14b||

tatra—in that regard; vyāpāraḥ—a rhetorical function; vyañjana—is to bring about a suggestion; ātmakaḥ—whose nature.

In that, there is a rhetorical function whose nature is to bring about a suggestion.

tatra lākṣaṇike śabde vyaṅgya-bodhake satīty arthaḥ. sā ca lakṣitānyaiḥ, “viratāsv abhidhādyādīnāṃ yayārtho bodhyate’paraḥ, sā vṛttir vyañjanā nāma śabdādīnāṃ nigadyate” iti dvedhā caiṣā, śābdī ārthī ceti. śābdī dvedhā, abhidhā-lakṣaṇā-mūlatvāt.

“In that” means “in a lākṣaṇika word.” This means: “given that something makes one understand an implied sense.” That rhetorical function was defined by some other venerable person:

viratāv abhidhādīnāṃ yayārtho bodhyate’paraḥ |
sā vṛttir vyañjanā nāma śabdādīnāṃ nigadyate ||

“The rhetorical function by means of which another sense is made to be understood when abhidhā and the other rhetorical functions have ceased is called vyañjanā (Suggestiveness). It relates to a word and so on” (adapted from Sāhitya-darpaṇa).^[1]

Therefore Suggestiveness (vyañjanā-vṛtti) has two varieties: śābdī (related to a word) and ārthī (related to a meaning). Suggestiveness related to a word (śābdī) has two subvarieties, since the basis of vyañjanā is either abhidhā or lakṣaṇā.

Commentary:

Denotation-based Suggestiveness (abhidhā-mūlā śābdī vyañjanā) is expounded in texts 2.35-38. Indication-based Suggestiveness (lakṣaṇā-mūlā śābdī vyañjanā), explained next, is only in the scope of purposeful figurative usage (prayojanavatī lakṣaṇā). Viśvanātha Kavirāja explains: lakṣaṇopāsyate yasya kṛte tat tu prayojanamyayā pratyākhyāyate sā syād vyañjanā lakṣaṇāśrayā, “The rhetorical function by means of which the purpose, for the sake of which lakṣaṇā is used, is made to be perceived is vyañjanā founded upon lakṣaṇā” (Sāhitya-darpaṇa 2.15). Suggestiveness related to a meaning (ārthī vyañjanā) (the words can be changed without altering the implied sense) is the topic of chapter three. Suggestiveness can be used unlimitedly, that is to say one implied sense can give rise to another.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Viśvanātha Kavirāja’s verse is: viratāsv abhidhādyāsu yayārtho bodhyate’paraḥ |
sā vṛttir vyañjanā nāma śabdasyārthādikasya ca ||(Sāhitya-darpaṇa 2.12-13). The suggestiveness of a word base, of a suffix, and so on, is expounded from text4.87.