History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.93

c6.93

The number of alaṅkāras has varied from time to time. भरत mentioned only four. There were ancient authors who described only five or eight figures of speech (vide p. 69 n. 2 above). The विष्णुधर्मोत्तरपुराण appears to have known only 18 alaṅkāras (p. 69 above). Bhaṭṭi, Daṇḍin, Bhāmaha, Udbhaṭa and Vāmana speak of between 30 to 40 alaṅkāras. Mammaṭa defines 61, Ruyyaka about 75, the Candrāloka one hundred and the Kuvalayānanda 115. The ध्वन्यभाववादिन् is made to say in the ध्व. p. 9 ‘सहस्रशो हि महात्मभिरन्यैरलंकारप्रकाराः प्रकाशिताः प्रकाश्यन्ते च ।’.