Alamkara Theory

Alamkara Theory

Introduction:The Enduring Influence of the Alamkara School

The theory of Alamkara had a big impact on Sanskrit poetry. It is widely known that the Alamkara School played a key role in shaping the Mahakavya tradition. Even early Mahakavyas, like those by Asvaghosa, seem to have been influenced by the ideas of Bhamaha's Kavyalamkara and other Alamkara theorists. The Alamkara School continued to influence later writers such as Bharavi, Magha, and Harsa. Poets always kept Alamkara theory in mind, even as other poetic theories became popular. Although newer theories like rasa and dhvani came along, Alamkara remained important. Writers like Mammata and Visvanatha, who followed rasa-dhvani theory, still talked a lot about Alamkaras. Even when dhvani theory became widely accepted, books like Kuvalayananda by Appayya Diksita focused solely on Alamkaras. This shows how much influence the Alamkara School had on poetry and poetry theory.

Influential Figures and Works in the Alamkara School of Sanskrit Poetry:

Followings are the influential figures of he Alamkara School.

• Bhamaha (circa 7th c. A.D): Author of Kavyalamkara, first exponent of the Alamkara School

• Udbhata and Rudrata: Successors of Bhamaha

• Dandin: Considered an adherent of the guna-riti school; devotes considerable space to Alamkaras

• Bhoja: Author of Srngaraprakasa

• Hemachandracharya: Author of Kavyanusasana

• Kesavamisra: Author of Rasa and Alamkarasekhara

• Mammata: Author of Kavyaprakasa

• Visvanatha: Author of Sahityadarpana

• Ruyyaka: Author of Alamkarasarvasva

• Visvesvara: Author of Alamkarakaustubha

• Appayya Diksita: Author of Kuvalayananda

• Bhatti (of Bhattikavya fame): Poet and exponent of the Alamkara School; author of Bhattikavya, which extensively covers Alamkaras.

Evolution of the Meaning of "Alamkara" in Sanskrit Poetry:

 Initially, the term "alamkara" referred to basic figures of speech and sound like upama, rupaka, yamaka, which are what we now call "alamkara." Later, around the time of Dandin, it became broader and referred to anything that made poetry beautiful (kavyasobha). Under this broader meaning, anything that added to the beauty of poetry (like kavyagunas) could be included. Then, Vamana took it a step further, using "alamkara" to mean the entirety of beauty in poetry, also known as "Saundarya," expanding its meaning even more.

Over time, the meaning of "alamkara" changed and its theory developed. However, later on, it lost its broader meaning and simply referred to two types of figures:

(1) Arthalamkaras and (2)Sabdalamkaras.                                          

The Alamkara School believed that poetry was like a body that needed decoration. This "body" of poetry and its set of figures were seen as separate entities. The body consisted of words conveying agreeable ideas, made up of sound and sense. Bhamaha thought that poetry was a mix of these two elements- Sound (Word) and Sense (meaning). But, poetry wouldn't shine without proper adornment in the form of poetic figures, just like a beautiful face needs makeup.

The Significance of Alamkaras in Poetry:

Using alamkaras makes poetry special. It changes regular, everyday speech into poetic speech and helps us decide if it's good or not. Regular speech is simple, but poetry uses fancy language. People focused a lot on these fancy expressions. Besides using these expressions, the alamkara theory also paid attention to adding good qualities to poetry and fixing any mistakes. So, the alamkara theory is mostly about making poetry look and sound nice on the outside.

Division of Alamkaras and the Evolution of Poetic Qualities:

• The body of poetry and alamkaras were both divided into two kinds:

(A) Sabdalankara: Sabdalamkaras adorned the sound aspect, such as yamaka and anuprasa, making the composition pleasant to hear.

(1) Yamak Alamkara is a poetic device where a word or phrase is repeated twice in a verse but carries different meanings each time. (when same word repeats more than once but each time its meaning is different.) e.g.,

(1) प्रिये प्रियंके, सखि सखियं, मातुर्मातरं स्त्रियम् (Priye priyanke, sakhi sakhiyam, maturmataran striyam) in Sanskrit is:"O beloved, the beloved's beloved, friend, the friend's friend, mother, the mother's mother, woman."

(2) Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then put out the light. (From William Shakespeare's play "Othello": first ‘light’ refers to candle and second ‘light’ refers to Desdemona’s life.)

(3) सजना है मुझे सजना के लिए। Here, “सजना” means to make up/lover.

         (4) થયા પૂરા બેહાલ, સુરત તુજ રડતી સૂરત.  (city of Surat, appearance)

(2) Anuprasa Alamkara: Anuprasa means the recurrence of the sound in words in close succession or at regular intervals; repetition of a sound, usu. of a consonant or cluster regularly. E.g.,

(1) कश्चित् कस्यचिन्मित्रं, न कश्चित् कस्यचित् रिपु:

(2) "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes" ( from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)

(3) मैया मोरी मैं नहि माखन खायो (4) રઘુપતિ રાઘવ રાજારામ, પતિત પાવન સીતારામ.

(B) Arthalankara: Arthalamkaras adorned the sense aspect, like upama and rupaka, creating appealing speech.

(1) Upama Alankara: Upama is an alankara which shows reassemblance or comparison.

(1) कमलमिव मुखं मनोज्ञमेतत्।

(2) My heart is like a singing bird / Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;

My heart is like an apple-tree / Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;

(3) सागर-सा गंभीर हृदय हो, गिरी- सा ऊँचा हो जिसका मन

(4) હો સુખડ સમુ ઉર મારુ

(2) Rupaka Alamkara: Rupaka is a type of Alankara that involves the use of a word or phrase to represent something else that it is not literally applicable to. E.g.,

(1) जात ! पश्यामि ते मुखपुण्डरीकम्।  (2) पायो जी मैंने राम रतन धन पायो I

(3) But thy eternal summer shall not fade ( Shakespare’s ‘Shall I compare thee to summer’)

(4) ડોલતો ડુંગર ઈ તો અમારો સસરો જો.

• Over time, poetic qualities (gunas) and flaws (dosas) were also split into categories of sound and sense.

• Alamkaravadins focused mainly on arthalamkaras, dedicating much of their writings to this aspect.

• They enjoyed inventing new figures of speech, finding subtle differences in existing ones, and giving them new names.

• However, this led to the alamkara system becoming overly complex and focused on trivial differences, rather than enriching poetry.

Expansion of Alamkaras: A Historical Overview:

• Over time, the number of alamkaras has consistently grown.

• Bharata initially mentions only four figures: upama, rupaka, dipaka, and yamaka.

• Bhamaha introduces many more, claiming to have thought some up himself.

• Bhattikavya and Dandin's "Kavyadarsa" add a few more to the list.

• Attempts were made by writers like Vamana to reduce the number, but the trend was to increase it through multiplication and subdivision based on minor differences.

• By the time of Kuvalayananda, the number of arthalamkaras had reached one hundred and twenty-five.Top of Form