Analysis of Upamā-alaṅkāra

“saundaryaṃ ālaṅkāraḥ”–Alaṅkāra is the beautiful form of poetry. A beautiful idea must appropriately incarnate itself in a beautiful expression. The function of alaṅkāra is to heighten the effect of expression. Be it a Śabdālaṅkāra (sound effect) or an Arthālaṅkāra (a striking turn of idea), it is bahiraṅga or extrinsic to rasa so long as it is useful for rasa.

The author has composed many of the verses with different striking figures of speech and thus decorates the various rasas also fittingly.

This is the first and foremost figure of speech among the Arthālaṅkāras. The dramatist handles it well and applies it in suitable places.

(i) As he approaches the king’s vicinity, having been permitted to have an audience with him, the minister (Vijñāna Śarmā) wonders that in spite of being quite familiar with king Jīva, he is afraid of getting closer to him because the king’s tejas (radiance) is like the blazing fire’s radiance that prevents any one getting closer (I.36):

ātiparicaye'pi rājṣo bibhemi sahasopagantumabhyarṇam |
yenāgneriva tejaḥ sphuradasyārānnivartayati ||

Jīva is always pure and possesses a natural lustre^[1] and this makes one to think twice before approaching him. Hence the poet compares his lusture to the fierce glow of the fire which prevents anyone to come closer to its proximity.

(ii) It is noteworthy that Ānandarāya Makhin has used Upamā throughout the work and even while describing the diseases, especially in the second Act, when the various diseases boast of their powers.

While the Unmādas declare they would pounce upon their enemies like the tigers on the Śambara-deers (II.15cd):

śārdūlā iva śambarān sarabhasaṃ yānadya gṛhṇīmahe ||

The Vraṇas boast that they would burn the enemies like Arjuna who destroyed the Khāṇḍava forest (II.16cd):

āraṇyamiva khāṇḍavaṃ ghanasaraṇyatītadrumavrajaṃ dahanahetayaḥ puramarerdahāmo vayam ||

(iii) A beautiful illustration of Upamālaṅkāra is found in verse II.17 which describes the effect of the diseases called Arśa.

The force of the disease is such that all afflicted by it, feel great pain like the poor animals caught in the clutches of the tiger, and also like them, are not able to stand or walk or sleep or eat, or drink or even let their voice call out:

gṛhṇīyāma vyathayitumarestatpuraṃ yena sarve vyāghrākṛṣṭā iva hi paśavaḥ prāṇino'smadgṛhītāḥ |
sthatuṃ gantuṃ śayitumaśituṃ pātumābhāṣituṃvā nāpekṣante manasi dadhato duḥkhamātrānubhūtim ||

(iv) The demeanour of king Jīva on his return after procuring Rasa and Gandhaka from the divine couple, is clearly brought out by the poet with two similies in a simple śloka. Now that his worry is removed, Jīva’s face shines like the fully blooming lotus as the misty snow covering it, has melted away.

This idea is portrayed in the first half of the verse III. 21:

vicāravigamādidaṃ vilasati prasannaṃ mukhaṃ gṛhītasuṣamaṃ himavyapagamādivāmbhoruham |

The second sentence of the same verse declares that Jīva’s gait exhibiting his natural quality of a king’s valiance (dhīroddhatā) is like that of a powerful elephant that had won over its powerful counter part:

viṣāṇina iva pratidviradadarśanārṣiṇo gatiśca kila medinīṃ namayatīva dhīroddhatā ||

By using two appropriate similies in this one verse, the dramatist in a nutshell brings out the condition of Jīva on receiving the blessings of the Supreme.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Com. p.43: jīvo'pi svayaṃ nityanirmalo niravadhikaprabhābhāsuraśca syāt |