History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.28.4

c6.28.4

A brief quotation will be helpful : ‘कृपणदीनानाथातुरजनोद्धरणसमन्त्रदीक्षा- धुपगतमनसः समिद्धस्य विग्रहवतो लोकानुग्रहस्य धनदवरुणेन्द्रान्तकस मस्य स्वभुजबलवि- जिताने कनपतिविभवप्रत्यर्पणनित्यव्याप्तायुक्तपुरुषस्य निशितविद्वन्मतिगान्धर्वललितै- र्विडितत्रिदशपतिगुरुतुम्बुरुनारदादिविद्वज्जनोपजीव्यनेककाव्यक्रियाभिः प्रतिष्ठितकवि- राजशब्दस्य etc.’ These inscriptions therefore show that long before the 4th century, Poetics had made a good deal of progress. There are other indications of great antiquity that point in the same direction. The निघण्टु (III. 13) collects twelve phrases from the Ṛgveda and calls them उपमा (such as इदमिव, इदं यथा, अग्निर्वत्, तद्वत्). The निरुक्त, while commenting on this part of the निघण्टु cites a scientific definition of उपमा from गार्ग्य, a predecessor of यास्क, and remarks that in the Ṛgveda a superior object is sometimes compared with an inferior one (though the general rule is that the उपमान is superior to or more well-known than the उपमेय) अर्थात उपमा यदतत्तत्सदृशमिति गार्ग्यस्तदासां कर्म ज्यायसा वा गुणेन प्रख्याततमेन वा कनीयांसं वाप्रख्यातं वोपमिमीतेऽथापि कनीयसा ज्यायांसम्’ (III. 13). The निरुक्त then cites Ṛg. X. 4. 6 (तनूत्यजेव तस्करा वनर्गू &c., where the arms are compared to desperate thieves) and Ṛg. X. 40. 2 (कुह स्विद्दोषा कुह वस्त्रोश्विना &c., where the Aśvins are compared to the levir having intercourse with his brother’s widow).