Studies in the History of Sanskrit Poetics v1.c17.9

v1.c17.9

was the first to regard *vakrókti* as a special poetic figure (*arthālaṃkāra*), but he too used the expression in a more or less general sense to denote a particular mode of metaphorical expression based on *lakṣaṇā* or transferred sense (IV. 3. 8)¹. From this it appears that (1) the term *vakrókti* travelled through all these writings from a very broad sense as the distinguishing characteristic of all poetic figures to the precise and narrow signification of a specific verbal poetic figure in Rudraṭa’s definition; a definition which, however, unquestionably established itself in all later writers (except in Kuntala who developed his idea directly from Bhāmaha); (2) the order of development points apparently to the conclusion that Rudraṭa was probably later than Bhāmaha, Daṇḍin and Vāmana; for in his time the broader and older connotation of *vakrókti* was out of date, and it came to be looked upon as a defined species of *śabdālaṃkāra*; and (3), its illustration by Ratnākara indicates its existence, independently of Rudraṭa, in the 9th century A.D. These indications make it probable, apart from a detailed examination of Rudraṭa’s other theories in relation to those of Bhāmaha, Daṇḍin and Vāmana, that the substance of Rudraṭa’s teaching was probably later than that of these older writers. If this conclusion is accepted, then Rudraṭa should be placed after Vāmana, who is the latest member of this group; and this gives us the upper limit to his date.