Text 10.26

यथा,

yathā,

This exemplifies eka-deśa-vivartinī upamā,

kaṭākṣair iva nīlābjair mukheneva sudhāṃśunā |
kāśair hāsair ivāyātā śarat kṛṣṇasya dṛk-patham ||

With blue lotuses like sidelong glances, the moon like a face, and grasses like laughter, autumn has come on the path of Kṛṣṇa’s eyes.

atra nīlābjādīnāṃ kaṭākṣādi-sādṛśyaṃ vācyam. śaradas taruṇī-sādṛśyaṃ tu gamyam eva. evaṃ-vidha-bahu-vaicitrya-sambhavād ukta-bhedāntarbhāvāc ca naitāḥ sūtra-kṛtā lakṣitāḥ.

In this example, the similarity between blue lotuses and so on and sidelong glances and so on is expressed, whereas the similarity between autumn and a young woman is implied.

These varieties of similes were not defined by the writer of sūtras because many such amazing kinds are possible and because they are included in the aforementioned varieties.

Commentary:

Kavikarṇapūra, who usually follows Mammaṭa’s methodology to the letter, counts mālopamā and rasanopamā as ornaments proper.

In poetic theory, the notion of eka-deśa-vivartin (existing in one place) was first used as a subcategory of the rūpaka ornament (metaphor) (10.48).^[1] Paṇḍita-rāja Jagannātha says many subvarieties of similes can be invented, especially by adapting all eight varieties of metaphors to the concept of simile.^[2]

This is his example of samasta-vastu-viṣaya-sāvayavā (complete overall simile) (no simile is implied) (sāvayava = sāṅga):

kamalati vadanaṃ yasyām alayanty alakā mṛṇālato bāhū śaivālati romāvalir adbhuta-sarasīva sā bālā

“On her, the face acts like a lotus, the head hair acts like bees, the arms act like long plants, and the row of hair on the belly acts like an offshoot of moss: That young woman is like an amazing pond” (Rasa-gaṅgādhara, KM p. 182).

This is Jagannātha’s example of kevala-śuddha-paramparitā (one pair of similes not based on paronomasia where one simile is the cause of the other):

rājā yudhiṣṭhiro nāmnā sarva-dharma-samāśrayaḥ |
drumāṇām iva lokānāṃ madhu-māsa ivābhavat ||

“King Yudhiṣṭhira upheld all the moral codes. He was like the spring season for people who are like trees” (Rasa-gaṅgādhara, KM p. 184).

The verse illustrates a paramparitā upamā because the two similes “He was like the spring season” and “people are like trees” require one another.

The following illustrates mālā-rūpa-śuddha-paramparitā (a series of similes not based on paronomasia where one simile is the cause of the other):

mṛgatāṃ harayan madhye vṛkṣatāṃ ca patīrayan |
ṛkṣatāṃ sarva-bhūtānāṃ tvam indavasi bhū-tale ||

“In the midst of those who act like deer, you act like a lion. In the midst of those who act like trees, you act like a sandalwood tree.

And in the midst of people on Earth who act like stars, you act like the moon” (Rasa-gaṅgādhara, KM p. 184).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

samasta-vastu-viṣayam eka-deśa-vivarti ca |
dvidhā rūpakam uddiṣṭam etat tac cocyate yathā || (Bhāmahālaṅkāra 2.22)

[2]:

iyam api rūpaka-vat kevala-niravayavā, mālā-rūpa-niravayavā, samasta-vastu-viṣayasāvayavā, eka-deśa-vivarti-sāvayavā, kevala-śliṣṭa-paramparitā, mālā-rūpa-śliṣṭa-paramparitā, kevala-śuddha-paramparitā, mālā-rūpa-śuddha-paramparitā cety aṣṭadhā (Rasa-gaṅgādhara, KM pp. 181-182).