Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana

by Gaurapada Dāsa | 2015 | 234,703 words

Baladeva Vidyabhusana’s Sahitya-kaumudi covers all aspects of poetical theory except the topic of dramaturgy. All the definitions of poetical concepts are taken from Mammata’s Kavya-prakasha, the most authoritative work on Sanskrit poetical rhetoric. Baladeva Vidyabhushana added the eleventh chapter, where he expounds additional ornaments from Visv...

परुषाक्षरं पदं श्रुति-कटु. यथा, कार्तार्थ्यं कुरु मे सुभ्रूः. अत्र कार्तार्थ्यम् इति.

paruṣākṣaraṃ padaṃ śruti-kaṭu. yathā, kārtārthyaṃ kuru me subhrūḥ. atra kārtārthyam iti.

(1) A word that is hard on the ears (śruti-kaṭu) is a word that has harsh letters. For instance, in: kārtārthyaṃ kuru me subhrūḥ, “You, O beautiful woman, should make me well-off,” the sound kārtārthyam (being well-off) is harsh.

Commentary:

In this context, the word kārtārthyam should be replaced with a synonym whose letters are expressive of mādhurya-guṇa (the quality of sweetness). Śruti-kaṭu is not a fault when ojas guṇa (the quality of vigor) suitably takes place (7.116; 7.121).

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