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'Laksaņā
547 presentation of Dixitajee is 'revolutionary and original'. But the fact is that Appayya's views on laksanā also are challanged and almost blasted at so many places by Punditarāja Jagannātha and this is not taken care of by Dr. B. D. Pandya but nicely presented by Prof. P. Ramacandrudu in his "The Contribution of Panditaraja Jagannātha to Sanskrit Poetics" (Vol. I. Edn. Nirajana publishers Delhi - 7, '83). This we will examine in due course.
For the present we will continue with Appayya Dixit, when he comes to discuss sāropā laksanā. The famous illustration of sāropā laksaņā is, 'mukham candrah'. Here 'mukha' is said to be 'visaya' or 'upameya', and 'candra' is 'visayi or ‘upamāna'. The relation between these two is that of similarity i.e. sādrśyasambandha. On the basis of this relation it is imagined that 'the face is itself the moon'. Thus identity is brought about between the two. This identification shows the relation of tād-rūpya' between 'mukha' and 'candra'. This relation of identity i.e. tādrūpya-sambandha is impossible to be established by the primary senses of 'mukha' and 'candra', because both these things are absolutely different from each other. So, to bring out the apprehension of identification, we have to resort to laksaņā or indication with reference to 'candra', and through laksana we have to arrive at a meaning viz. 'candra-sadrśa' i.e. 'similar to the moon'. The motive or prayojana behind this laksanā is to suggest the 'tādrūpya' abheda between 'mukha' and 'candra'.
Now, Appayya holds that to begin with, in instances such as, 'mukham candrah', there is no need to resort to sāropā laksaņā at all! In Vịttivārttika as well as in the portion on rūpaka alamkāra in his Citra-mīmāmsā, he has vociferously argued to denounce sāropā laksaņā in such cases. The gist of his argument is that the word 'candra' through its indicated sense of 'candra-sadrśa' i.e. 'similar to the moon', is incapable of the expression of 'mukhatva', because 'mukhatva' can never be found to be present in 'candra'. Even if you say that, the word 'candra' indicates the sense of one having kānti or beauty, through the sāmānya (i.e. class) in form of ‘kāntimattā' or 'the quality of having beauty', the apprehension of tādrūpya or identity will not take place. Again, in ‘mukham candrah', if it is said that there is scope for laksaņā on account of similarity residing in the moon, then as this meaning of similarity is dawned, this illustration viz. 'mukham candrah', will have to be taken as an illustration of upamā i.e. simile. This being the situation in place of rūpaka alamkāra, the position of sāropā (gaunī) laksaņā becomes impossible.
Again, in the illustration viz. ‘mukham candrah', for the identification between the face and the moon, indication on the word candra giving the meaning candra
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