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...

(3) [In bringing about a result, an entity effects another, unlikely result:]

नयन-युग-विधाने राधिकाया विधात्रा
  जगति मधुर-साराः सञ्चिताः सद्-गुणा ये ।
भुवि पतित-तद्-अंशैस् तेन सृष्टान्य् असारैर्
  भ्रमर-मृग-चकोराम्भोज-मीनोत्पलानि ॥

nayana-yuga-vidhāne rādhikāyā vidhātrā
  jagati madhura-sārāḥ sañcitāḥ sad-guṇā ye
|
bhuvi patita-tad-aṃśais tena sṛṣṭāny asārair
  bhramara-mṛga-cakorāmbhoja-mīnotpalāni
||

nayana—of eyes; yuga—the pair; vidhāne—in making; rādhikāyāḥ—of Rādhikā; vidhātrā—by Brahmā; jagati—in the world; madhura-sārāḥ—the essence of sweetness; sañcitāḥ—collected; sat-guṇāḥ—eminent qualities; ye—which [qualities]; bhuvi—on Earth; patita—fallen; tat-aṃśaiḥ—by portions of those [qualities]; tena—by him; sṛṣṭāni—were created; asāraiḥ—which are not the essence; bhramara-mṛga-cakora-ambhoja-mīna-utpalāni—bees, deer, cakora birds, lotuses, fish, and water lilies.

To make Rādhikā’s eyes, the creator collected eminent qualities which are the essence of sweetness in the world. The remaining portions of those qualities fell on Earth, and with them he created bees, deer, cakora birds, lotuses, fish and lilies. (Govinda-līlāmṛta 11.100)

Commentary:

Rudraṭa invented the three varieties of viśeṣa. This is his example of the third category:

likhitaṃ bāla-mṛgākṣyā mama manasi tayā śarīram ātmīyam |
sphuṭam ātmano likhantyā tilakaṃ vimale kapola-tale ||

“The fawn-eyed girl who drew a striking design on her immaculate cheek drew her body on the screen of my mind” (Kāvyālaṅkāra 9.10).

Mammaṭa gives another example of the third viśeṣa,

gṛhiṇī sacivaḥ sakhī mithaḥ priya-śiṣyā lalite kalā-vidhau |
karuṇā-vimukhena mṛtyunā haratā tvāṃ bata kiṃ na me hṛtam ||

“You were my wife, my counselor, my confidante, as well as my dear pupil in the art of love. And I was your friend. When cruel Death took you away, what did he not deprive me of?” (Raghu-kāvya) (Kāvya-prakāśa verse 562)

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