Hanuman Nataka (critical study)
by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words
This page relates ‘Figures of Speech (alamkara) Employed in the Hanumannataka’ of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka—a fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu—the God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.
3. Figures of Speech (alaṃkāra) Employed in the Hanumannāṭaka
The word Alaṃkāra, has an ancient origin.[1] The Nātyaśāstra speaks of Upamā, Rūpaka, Dīpaka and Yamaka as four Alaṃkāras of Nāṭaka. Vāmana says that poetry receives its acceptability owing to the figure of speech only.[2] He also mentions that beauty itself is Alaṃkāra.[3] Alaṃkāras are the figures of speech, which beautify the Kāvya. According to Viśvanātha Kavirāja[4], Alaṃkāra means those non-permanent attributes of a word and its sense, that add to their beauty and aid the Rasa or the like, being like bracelets and the like which adorn the human form.
The verses of the Hanumannāṭaka of Śrī Dāmodara Miśra are found to be beautified with the employment of both the types of poetic embellishment, i.e. Śabdālaṃkāra and Arthālaṃkāra. Employment of various types of figures of speech in the verses of the Hanumannāṭaka is being shown in this way.
Upamā (Simile)
The figure Upamā is an Arthālaṃkāra. This Upamā[5] is said to occur when some sort of similarity between two things comes to be denoted without a reference to the dissimilarity. There are some examples of this figure of speech found in the Hanumannāṭaka This figure is found in the following verses of the Hanumannāṭaka, viz.I.2, 10; III. 8, 15; IV. 14; V. 26; VIII. 18.
Rūpaka (Metaphor)
When there is maintained no difference between the object of comparison, the figure is known as Rūpaka.[6] We have this figure in the following verses of the Hanumannāṭaka, viz. VIII. 31; XIV. 77
Arthāntaranyāsa (Corroboration)
When a general proposition is strengthened by a particular one or a particular by a general one and when an effect is justified by a cause or vice-versa, either under similarity or on a contrast, the figure is known as Arthāntaranyāsa.[7] The verses showing the use of this figure are as follow–I: 21; II: 23; VII: 7; IX: 12; XIII: 13;
Kāvyaliṅga (Poetical cause)
When the reason is implied in a sentence or a word, it is termed as Kāvyaliṅga.[8] The verses showing this figure in the Hanumannāṭaka are—I:22; III:14; IV:8, 13; V:64; VI: 37;
Saṅkara (Blending)
When the Alaṃkāras are mixed either being aṅga or aṅgī or in a position of doubt as to which is the main one, or exist in a Pada (word) or Pāda (quarter), the figure is known as Saṅkara.[9] The verses showing the use of this figure in the Hanumannāṭaka are as follows–II:5; VI:27; XIV: 85
Samāsokti (Speech of Brevity)
When the behavior of another is ascribed to the subject of description from a sameness of action, sex or gender and attribute, the figure is called Samāsokti.[10] The verses showing this Alaṃkāra in the Hanumannāṭaka are–II:6, 19.
Dīpaka (Illuminator)
When a thing, which is the subject in hand, and another which is not the subject in hand, are connected with the same attribute, the figure is called Dīpaka.[11] In the Hanumannāṭaka, the following verses show the use of this figure of speech. II:4; IV: 11
Tulyayogitā (Equal Pairing)
When the objects in the context and others are associated with one and the same attribute, then the figure is known as Tulyayogitā.[12] The verse nadyaśca khalamaitri … youvanāḥ[13] contains the use of this Alaṃkāra.
Sahokti (Connected Description)
When a word conveying, by virtue of the power of denotation, a meaning connected with another thing by the force of some word like sārdhaṃ, sākaṃ, saha etc., the figure is then called Sahokti.[14] Example of this alaṃkāra from Hanumannāṭaka is the verse I:23.[15]
Sandeha (Doubt)
When an object under discussion is poetically suspected to be something else, it is called Sandeha.[16] The verses II:7; IV:9; VI:28 etc. show the use of this alaṃkāra.
Samuccaya (Conjunction)
According to Viśvanātha Kavirāja, when notwithstanding the existence of one cause sufficient to bring about an effect, there are other producing the same effect according to the maxim of the threshing-floor and the pigeons or when two qualities or two actions or a quality and an action are simultaneously produced there is Samuccaya.[17] The verse cūḍācumbitakaṅka … paippalaḥ of the Hanumannāṭaka is bearing the use of this alaṃkāra.
Utprekṣā (Poetical Fancy)
Utprekṣā[18] is the imagining of an object under the character of another. The following verses are written in this alaṃkāra. II:15, 16; V:63; XIV: 63
Viṣama (Incongruity)
According to Viśvanātha Kavirāja, when the qualities or the actions of a cause and its effect are opposed to each other, or when an effort fails and some evil result follows, or, when there is an association between two things that are incongruous, then the figure is called Viṣama.[19] The following verses show the use of this alaṃkāra.—V:18; V:20; VIII:16.
Ullekha (Representation)
The description of one under different characters arising from a difference of perceivers or from difference of the objects is termed Ullekha.[20] The verse yaṃ śaivāḥ samupāsate … of the Hanumannāṭaka contains the use of this alaṃkāra.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
kāvyaṃ grāhyamlaṃkārāt Kumārasambhava, II.1
[3]:
saundaryamlaṃkāraḥ ibid., II.2
[4]:
śabdārthayorasthirā ye dharmaḥ śobhāti śāyinaḥ/
rasādīnupakurvanto’laṅkārāste’ṅgadādivat// Sāhityadarpaṇa, X.1
[7]:
[8]:
hetor vākyapadārthatve kāvyaliṅgaṃ nigadyate/ ibid., X.81
[9]:
aṅgāṅgitve’laṅkṛtīnāṃ tadvadekāśrayasthitau/
sandhigdhatveca bhavati saṅkarastribidhaḥ punaḥ// ibid., X.127
[10]:
samāsoktiḥsamairyatra kāryaliṅga viśeṣaṇaiḥ/
vyavahārasamāropaḥ prastute’nyasye vastunaḥ// Sāhityadarpaṇa, X.74
[12]:
padārthānāṃ prastutānāmanyeṣāṃ vā yadā bhavet/
ekadharmābhisambandhaḥ syāttadā tulyayogita// ibid., X.66
[13]:
nadyaśca khalamaitrī ca lakṣmīśca niyatirdviṣām/
sukumārāśca vanitā rājannasthiryouvanāḥ// Hanumannāṭaka, IX. 19
[15]:
[17]:
samuccayo’yamekasmin sati kāryasya sādhake/
khale kapotikānyāyāttatkaraḥ syātparo’pi cet//
guṇau kriye vā yugapatsyātāṃ yadvā guṇakriye/ ibid., X. 64, 65
[18]:
bhavet sambhābanotprekṣāprakṛtasya parātmanā/ ibid., X.57
[19]:
guṇaukṛye vā cet (yat) syātāṃ viruddhe hetukāryayoh/
yadvārabdhasya vaika(pha) lyamanarthasya casambhavaḥ/
virūpayoḥ saṅghaṭanā yā catadviṣamaṃ mataṃ// ibid., X.91
[20]:
kvacidbhedād grahītṛṅām viṣayānāṃ tathā kvacit elasyānekadhollekho yaḥ sa ullekha ucyate/ ibid., X.37