Text 9.30

उदाहरणम्,

udāharaṇam,

Examples are shown:

manas tudantīkṣaṇa-dā vateṣṭā
  vidhau viruddhe tamasi pravṛddhe |
tasmin pravṛddhe haritaḥ prasādaṃ
  dhanyā labhante tamasi praṇaṣṭe ||

manaḥ—the mind; tudantī—is striking (or tudanti—strike); kṣaṇa-dā—the night (or īkṣaṇa-dāḥ—which cut the eyes); vata (bata)—how amazing, or alas; iṣṭā—which is desired (or iṣṭāḥ—[objects] which are desired); vidhau—when the moon (or when the creator); viruddhe—obstructed (or adverse); tamasi—when darkness (or when the mode of ignorance); pravṛddhe—has increased; tasmin—when that (the moon or the creator); pravṛddhe—has increased (or grows up); haritaḥ—the directions (or because of Hari); prasādam—clearness (or serenity); dhanyāḥ—fortunate; labhante—attain; tamasi—when the mode of ignorance; praṇaṣṭe—is destroyed.

How wonderful! When the moon is obstructed and darkness has increased, the awaited night strikes the mind, but when the moon increases and darkness is dispelled, the fortunate directions become clear.

[Alternatively:] Alas, when the creator is adverse and the mode of ignorance increases, desirable objects attack the eyes and strike the mind, but when by Hari’s mercy the creator becomes lordly and ignorance is dispelled, fortunate people become serene. (Alaṅkāra-kaustubha 7.68)

atra vidhāv ity ukārekārayoḥ sārūpyād varṇa-bhedaḥ. kṣaṇa-dā īkṣaṇadāś ceti dāñ-dāpoḥ sārupyāt prakṛti-bhedaḥ. tudantīti śatṛ-ṅīb-antatvāt ṅy-antatvāc ca pratyaya-bhedaḥ. iṣṭeti strī-liṅgaika-vacanāntatvāt, iṣṭā iti puṃ-liṅga-bahu-vacanāntatvāc ca liṅga-bhedo vacana-bhedaś ca. harita iti prathamāntatvāt pañcamy-antatvāc ca vibhakti-bhedaś ceti ṣoḍhā.

In this verse, six varieties of śleṣa occur: (1) a varṇa-śleṣa (union of two phonemes): the word vidhau is the locative case singular of either vidhu (the moon) or vidhi (the creator), (2) a prakṛti-śleṣa (union of two word bases): kṣaṇa-dā (the night, “it gives a festival”) is made from the verbal root [ḍu]dā[ñ] dāne (to give), whereas īkṣaṇa-dā (īkṣaṇa-dāḥ) (they cut the eyes, i.e. they jump to the eyes) is made from the verbal root dā[p] lavane (to cut),^[1] (3) a pratyaya-śleṣa (union of two suffixes): tudantī is a present participle, made with the suffix [ś]at[ṛ] and the feminine suffix [ṅ]ī[p], whereas tudanti is a verb, made with a verbal suffix, (4) a liṅga-śleṣa (union of two genders); iṣṭā is feminine, and iṣṭāḥ is masculine, (5) a vacana-śleṣa (union of two numbers): iṣṭā is singular, whereas iṣṭāḥ is plural, and (6) a vibhakti-śleṣa (union of two case endings): haritaḥ is the nominative case plural of harit (direction) as well as the ablative case singular of hari.

Commentary:

The two broad headings of śleṣa (abhaṅga and sabhaṅga) (9.1-2) variously apply to the eight categories. The double meaning on tudantīkṣaṇa-dā is a sabhaṅga-śleṣa (the double meaning is achieved by separating the letters in a different way), and so is the double meaning on iṣṭā in “iṣṭā vidhau.” The double meanings on vidhau (moon, creator), tamasi (darkness, ignorance), haritaḥ (the directions; because of Hari), and prasādam (clearness; satisfaction) are abhaṅga-śleṣa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

It can also be made from the verbal root do avakhaṇḍane (to break to pieces).