Alankar: Of Sound and of Sense
Alankar: Of Sound and of Sense
Figures of speech supply two to three questions and they are set by giving a line and asking which figure it contains. So what helps here is recognition rather than definition — remembering which word or which pattern points to which figure is what actually answers the question.
The Two Main Classes
Where the effect comes from the word it is a shabdalankar, and where it comes from the sense it is an arthalankar. The test is whether the effect survives if the word is replaced — if it survives, the figure is of sense; if not, it is of sound.
| Shabdalankar | Test |
|---|---|
| Anupras | the same letter recurring |
| Yamak | one word repeated, with a different sense each time |
| Shlesh | one word used once, carrying several senses |
| Vakrokti | drawing a second meaning from what was said |
The difference between yamak and shlesh is asked most often and got wrong most often. In yamak the word is repeated; in shlesh it appears only once but yields two senses.
✗ In shlesh the word appears again and again | ✓ If it recurs, the figure is yamak; in shlesh one occurrence carries several senses
Major Figures of Sense
| Alankar | Test | Marker words |
|---|---|---|
| Upma | likeness between two things | सा, सम, जैसा, सी |
| Rupak | the standard imposed on the subject | no marker word |
| Utpreksha | imagining a possibility | मनु, जनु, मानो, ज्यों |
| Atishayokti | saying something greatly enlarged | — |
| Manavikaran | human behaviour given to the lifeless | — |
| Virodhabhas | apparent contradiction that is not one | — |
The four parts of upma are asked directly — upmey, the thing compared; upman, the thing it is compared to; the marker word such as सा or जैसा; and the shared quality.
Upma and rupak are separated by the marker word. मुख चंद्रमा के समान है is upma; मुख चंद्रमा है is rupak, because the difference has been erased and the identity imposed.
तेज़ पहचान का नियम: सा, सम, जैसा दिखे तो उपमा; मनु, जनु, मानो दिखे तो उत्प्रेक्षा; कोई वाचक न हो और सीधा आरोप हो तो रूपक।
TRE pointer: Two pairs make most of the questions in this topic — yamak against shlesh and upma against rupak. Remember the marker words of utpreksha, मनु, जनु and मानो, since they give the answer at once. The four parts of upma are also asked separately.
60-Second Recap
- Effect from the word gives shabdalankar; effect from the sense gives arthalankar.
- Anupras is the recurrence of a letter.
- Yamak repeats the word; shlesh uses it once for several senses.
- The four parts of upma are upmey, upman, marker word and shared quality.
- Rupak has no marker word and imposes the standard on the subject.
- मनु, जनु and मानो are the marker words of utpreksha.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between yamak and shlesh?
In yamak the same word occurs more than once in the line and carries a different sense each time. In shlesh the word occurs only once, yet that single use yields two or more senses. Whether the word recurs is what settles the two.
How do you tell upma from rupak?
By the marker word. If a comparative word such as सा, सम, जैसा or सी is present, it is upma, as in मुख चंद्रमा के समान है. If there is no marker word and the standard has been imposed directly on the subject, it is rupak, as in मुख चंद्रमा है.
How is utpreksha recognised?
It imagines the possibility of the standard in the subject, and it usually carries marker words such as मनु, जनु, मानो, जानो or ज्यों. Spotting those words is the fastest identification, and the question is repeated year after year on exactly that basis.
What is manavikaran?
It is the figure in which a lifeless object or an element of nature is shown behaving, feeling or acting like a human being. It is found most abundantly in Chhayavad poetry, where nature is portrayed as a living person, so questions on it usually arise in that context.