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...

शित-शूल-धरो विष्णुश् चचार समरान्तरे. अत्र विष्णोश् चक्र-धारण-प्रसिद्धिः. शूल-विधृतिस् तया विरुद्धा. यथा वा, पादाघाताद् अशोकस् ते सखि जाताङ्कुरोऽभवत्. अत्र पद्मिनी-पादाघाताद् अशोकः पुष्पं बिभर्ति न त्व् अङ्कुरम् इति कवि-प्रसिद्धिस् तयाङ्कुर-विधृतिस् तथा.

śita-śūla-dharo viṣṇuś cacāra samarāntare. atra viṣṇoś cakra-dhāraṇa-prasiddhiḥ. śūla-vidhṛtis tayā viruddhā. yathā vā, pādāghātād aśokas te sakhi jātāṅkuro'bhavat. atra padminī-pādāghātād aśokaḥ puṣpaṃ bibharti na tv aṅkuram iti kavi-prasiddhis tayāṅkura-vidhṛtis tathā.

(9) [This illustrates prasiddhi-viruddha (contrary to what is well-known):] “Holding a sharp trident, Viṣṇu went in the middle of the battle” (Sāhitya-darpaṇa 7.12). Here what is well-known is that Viṣṇu has the cakra. His holding a trident is contrary to that.

This is another example: “Sakhī, by the strike of your foot, sprouts have appeared on the Aśoka tree” (Sāhitya-darpaṇa 7.12). The convention of poets is that, owing to the kick of a padminī heroine, an Aśoka tree blooms, but it does not shoot sprouts. Therefore the tree’s having sprouts on that occasion is contrary to the convention.

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