Text 10.2

पूर्णा लुप्ता च ॥ १०.८७b ॥

pūrṇā luptā ca || 10.87b ||

A simile is either complete (pūrṇā) or elliptical (luptā).

upamānopameya-sādhāraṇa-dharmopamā-vācakaiḥ pūrṇā. tatropamānaṃ padmādi, upameyaṃ mukhādi. sādharmyaṃ guṇa-kriyā-rūpaṃ manojñatva-vikāśādi. upamā-vācakas tv ivādiḥ. eṣv ekasya dvayos trayāṇāṃ vābhāve luptā.

A simile is complete when all four components are stated: the upamāna, the upameya, the common attribute, and the word that expresses the similitude. For example, in “Her face is charming like a lotus,” a lotus is the upamāna (the standard of comparison), the face is the upameya (the subject of the comparison), the quality of being charming is the attribute in common, and iva (like) is the word of comparison. A common attribute can also be an action. If one, two, or three elements among those four are missing, that constitutes an elliptical simile (luptopamā).

Commentary:

According to Mammaṭa, in a simile the similarity occurs in one of four ways: (1) a similar quality is stated, (2) a similar action is stated (such as a verb or a participle), (3) a similar quality and a similar action are stated, or (4) a similarity merely based on a double meaning is stated (9.51).^[1] More details regarding the attribute in common are mentioned ahead (10.20). The topic of upamā, expounded below, is so technical that Mammaṭa’s theory collapses on occasion. Even Viśvanātha Kavirāja made mistakes in this regard.^[2] Other ornaments do not involve so many details.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

yathā “kamalam iva mukhaṃ manojñam etat kacatitarām” ity ādau guṇa-sāmye kriyā-sāmye, ubhaya-sāmye vā, upamā, tathā “sakalakalaṃ puram etaj jātaṃ saṃprati sudhāṃśu-bimbam iva” ity ādau śabda-mātrasāmye’pi sā yuktaiva (Kāvya-prakāśa, verse 378 vṛtti).

[2]:

“It must be said that these remarks of Viśvanātha are quite wrong, as they are opposed to all ordinary ideas.” (Kane, P.V. (1995), The Sāhitya-darpaṇa, p. 100).