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7. YAŠASTILAKA AS AN ANTHOLOGY OF SANSKRIT VERSE
183
लसदलकतरङ्गाः कान्तनेत्रारविन्दाः प्रचलभुजलतान्ताः पीनवक्षोजकोकाः ।
अतनुजघनकूलाश्चारुलावण्यवारस्तव नृप जलकेलिं कुर्वतां स्त्रीसरस्यः ॥ A typical Rūpaka is jarā-rajakī, Old Age fancied as a laundress whitening the hair', reminding one of rajani-rajaki in Naişadhacarita 22. 113.
A practical example of Samásokti occurs in connection with the satire on ministers. We are told that certain wise people, being unable to express their sentiments regarding the ministers of a king openly, do so with the help of a Samāsokti.
प्रतीक्षे जातास्थः सुकृतसुलभं तद्दिनमहं यतो यातारोऽमी प्रलयमहयश्चन्दनतरोः।
अमीषां पापानामिह हि वसतामेष महिमा कदाप्येतच्छायामभिलषति यन्नाध्वगजनः ॥ 3. 168 With confidence I await the auspicious day when the serpents on the sandal tree will go to ruin. Thanks to those wicked creatures living on the tree, no wayfarer ever seeks its shade.'
An important feature of Somadeva's style is the occasional but deliberate effort to attain lyrical effect and the occasional (2.220, 3.428 etc.). He may be regarded to some extent as a precursor of the lyrical style which reached its full development in Jayadeva's Gitagovinda; of this there is interesting evidence in the use of Apabhraṁsa metres in the three lyrical panegyrics considered in Section VIII (see above). Rhyme is also used in isolated verses for lyrical effect (2.75, 76 226 etc.). Repetition of the last letter in a series of epithets is sometimes practised to give a lyric tone to a verse.
भास्वद्भास्वति दाहवाहिमरुति ज्वालोल्बणाशाकृति etc. उन्मार्गाम्भसि मेघमन्दनभसि च्छन्नांशुमत्तेजसि etc.
इथूलासिनि सस्यशालिनि खरं शेफालिकोत्फुल्लिनि etc. Alliteration is freely used in many verses interspersed in the work, and the quick movement of such verses is invariably in keeping with their lyrical qualities. Good use of onomatopoeia is made in the following description of elephants (3. 304) :
तडत्तडिति बन्धनं त्रुटति कन्धरोल्लासने खणत्खणिति वल्लिका गलति विक्रमारम्भिणि । मडन्मडिति भज्यते तरुगणः कृताधट्टने खडत्खडिति वारणः पतति चात्र युद्धैषिणि ॥
1 'कृष्णच्छविः साद्य शिरोरुहश्रीर्जरारजक्या क्रियतेऽवदाता' 2. 102.
2 तदुक्तं कैश्चिद्विश्विद्भिरेतदेव हृदयस्थर्माप जिह्वास्थं कर्तुमतरीद्धः समासोक्तिमिषेण ।' Jain Education International
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