Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 80

Sec. IV] STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA 55 furnished vividly with the details of incidents by bringing out speed, suspense and visibility in its cumualtive effect imposed by its own atmosphere. A distinct and separate impact is made by each sentence used by him. Here a continuity of the voice having up and down pitch is kept in an unbroken link of description of successive collective images or ideas each of which is made to merge into the next. The author creates a kind of sense-atmosphere in which he makes his readers appreciate his statement by shaking their attention with receptivity of mind. He uses clear-cut words with a voice very keen like a man, observing every thing caught up in his mind in the action of the moment and thus he makes the final impression on them with the last statement which still rings in the ear, though he has stopped talking.
Here the quality of style is simple narrative but the telling of the story is objective with regard to the description of things neatly arranged to make a cumulative effect in unslacking sentences. Because the author is treating of a great problem - the spiritual power and the way of life without using apostrophes and making any attempt to impress the effect of fact by explaining it with particulars or by uttering an even or a raised voice or by making a sudden halt or by shaking the readers' minds into attention.
Simile and Metaphor :
The BhS makes frequent use of many similes and metaphors to expound the philosophical doctrines. simile and metaphor are almost identical, but metaphor is only a compressed simile; it makes a deeper impact on the mind by its vividness than simile does. Some examples of simile and metaphor are given below :
The author explains non-eternality of human life by the familiar similes thus-it is non-eternal like the evening colour of the sky, like the water bubble, etc. upto like the sparkling of lightning, it is inconstant."
i Bh8, 9, 33, 384.