3.26. Use of Aprastutapraśaṃsā-alaṃkāra

[Full title: Use of Alaṃkāra in Mudrārākṣasa: Arthālaṃkāras, Gūḍhārthapratitimūlaka (or Guḍhārthapratitī-varga) (2). Aprastutapraśaṃsā]

In the 58^th, 59^th kārikā of the X^th chapter of Sāhityadarpaṇa, Viśvanātha has given the definition of Aprastutapraśaṃsā-laṃkāra thus—

“When a particular from a general, a general from a particular or a cause from an effect, or an effect from a cause or a thing similar from what resembles it, is understood each of the former being in question and the latter not so, it is Aprastutapraśaṃsā, which is thus fivefold.”^[1]

After the nāndī śloka when the Sūtradhāra introduces his exhibition to the audience, he uttered a verse with Vyañjanā having the admixture of Dṛṣṭānta, Nidarśanā and Aprastutapraśaṃsā-alaṃkāra.

Cf.—

“Scattered seeds grow profusely in fertile soil, even being sowed by an ignorant peasant. The clustered paddy does not expect any merit in the sower.”^[2]

Here, though the verse stated about paddy cultivation, but it is evident that this is not what Sūtradhāra is aiming at the main theme, rather he wants to convey that the audience (satkṣetra), is a highly qualified audience and the performance of a play given by such an unskilled person as himself is sure to win the applause of the people. Thus from the aprastuta paddy field and the peasent, the Sūtradhāra coveys the statement about the prastuta audience and the performer with the tricky application of Aprastutapraśaṃsā-alaṃkāra in a very nice way.

Again, cf.—

“āsvāditadviradaśoṇitaśoṇaśobhāṃ saṃdhyāruṇāmiva kalāṃ śaśalāñchanasya/
jṛmbhavidāritamukhasya mukhāt sphurantīṃ ko hartumicchati hareḥ paribhūya daṅṣṭrāṃ//”^[3]

Though, in the above verse, Cāṇakya stated that nobody will dare to snatch the extract from the mouth of the lion, whose jaws have been opened by yawning, the colour of which is red with the blood of the elephant just tasted by him, which appears like a digit of the moon tinted red by the twilight, but in actual aprastuta lion is none but prastuta Cāṇakya. The hidden meaning is this that nobody can harm Candragupta as long as Cāṇakya is there to save him. Therefore Aprastutapraśaṃsā can be clearly seen in this verse.

Another great example of Aprastutapraśaṃsā (with the admixture of Dṛṣṭāntālaṃkāra) can be found in the statement of Kañcukī in act III of Mudrārākṣasa thus cf.—

“It is the fault of the minister himself if the king dishonours him. The Tusker comes to be branded as rogue through the carelessness of the driver.”^[4]

Though this can be taken as an instance, but through this statement the Chamberlain wants to point to the fact that it is the fault of Cāṇakya, who being the mentor of Candragupta, failed to control him.

Over and above that there are a lot of examples of Aprastutapraśaṃsā available throughout the drama. Such as—IV. 4, 8, 14; V. 4, 8, 12; VII. 3, 6, 14, 16 and so on.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

kvacidviśeṣaḥ sāmānyāt, sāmānyaṃ vā viśeṣataḥ| kāryānnimittaṃ, kāryaṃ ca hetoratha samāt samaṃ|| aprastutāt prastutaṃ ced gamyate pañcadhā tataḥ| aprastutapraśaṃsā syād… Sāhityadarpaṇa, X.58,59

[2]:

cīyate bāliśasyāpi satkṣetrapatitā kṛṣiḥ| na śāleḥ stambakaritā vapturguṇamapekṣate|| Mudrārākṣasa, I.3

[3]:

Ibid., I.8

[4]:

Mudraraksasa,III.32