Text 1.14

[This verse illustrates artha-citra,]

kadamba-mālā-kalitā kaṃ sa-harṣaṃ na kurvatī |
kṛṣṇa-mūrtir ivābhāti kālikī kānana-sthalī ||

kadamba—of kadamba trees; mālā—with a multitude; kalitā—endowed; kam—whom?; sa-harṣam—joyful; na kurvatī—is not making; kṛṣṇa-mūrtiḥ—Kṛṣṇa’s form (or a darkish form); iva—like; ābhāti—is resplendent; kālikī—which is related to buds (kalikā) (i.e. which has buds) (or which lasts for a long time); kānana-sthalī—the region which is a forest.

Who does not become joyful upon seeing a longstanding forest that abounds in kadamba trees? It looks like Kṛṣṇa’s form.

anayor anuprāsa-nibandhaḥ śabda-sāmyopamā ca kramāt svādāya kalpate, na tu kiñcid vyaṅgyaṃ prasarati tataḥ kaniṣṭham etat.

Regarding the two verses: The first one has a construction with alliterations, and the second one is a simile along with a sameness of sound. That ornament of sound and that ornament of meaning can potentially be relished, yet no implied meaning emerges, therefore this is the lowest kind of poetry.

Commentary:

The sameness of sound in the above verse is the alliteration of the letter k. The verse also features the upamā ornament (simile): kṛṣṇa-mūrtir ivābhāti, “It looks like Kṛṣṇa’s form.” The ornament of meaning is predominant, therefore the verse is classed as artha-citra.