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Gems' in the Poetry (alankära) Sanskrit poetry is also renowned for its poetical charms (alankära). An alankära simply means a jewel. In addition, indeed alankära makes any poetry more beautiful and sweet.
Alankäras are broadly classified into two categories:
Alankäras of words, Alankäras of meanings of words or sentences.
Alankäras of words are of three types. Sometimes you would see any one letter being used again and again in anyone particular line. This gives a certain impact to the poetry.
Example: Verse No 23: first line
tvamämananti munayah paramam pumänsa
This line uses the letter 'm' repeatedly. The poet Mäntungächärya has used this alankära in many places. Verse No. 32 uses a letter 'p' repeatedly as we have seen before.
The second type of 'gems of words' is the repetition of any one word. As for examplethe verse No. 26 uses the word tubhyam repeatedly
tubhyam namastribhuvanärtiharäya nätha tubhyam namah kshititalämalabhushanäya tubhyam namastrijagatah parameshvaräya, tubhyam namo jina ! bhavodadhi shoshanäya || 26 ||
The third type of the 'alankära of words' is the rhyming of words in different lines. This is extensively noticed in the whole poem. We will see two examples.
Verse No 7: tvatsanstavena bhavasantati - sannibaddham papam kshanät kshayamupaiti sharira bhäjäm äkranta - lokamalinilamasheshamäshu suryänshubhinnamiva shärvaramandhakäram || 7||
The last syllables of the first, second and fourth line rhyme because of the common 'am' in them. Rhyming in English poetry is also very common and it provides rhythm in singing.
The second category of the alankäras is that of the 'alankäras associated with meaning or comparisons'
Some examples are as below:
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