Prakrit Vangamay Me Shabdalankar - Book Summary

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided Jain text, "Prakrit Vangamay me Shabdalankar" by Rudradev Tripathi, focusing on the role of shabdalankaras (verbal ornaments) in Prakrit literature:

The article, "Prakrit Vangamay me Shabdalankar" (Verbal Ornaments in Prakrit Literature) by Dr. Rudradev Tripathi, highlights the profound significance of language, particularly Prakrit, in conveying emotions and ideas. The author emphasizes that while all can communicate, educated individuals refine their language to be pleasant, clear, and impactful, thereby winning over hearts.

The Prakrit-Sanskrit Debate: Tripathi addresses the historical debate about whether Sanskrit or Prakrit is the primary language. He concludes that their relationship is one of mutual interdependence, akin to the seed and the tree, making it difficult to establish absolute priority. He states that skilled poets elevate any language through their use of bhaniti-guna (qualities of expression), which includes a rich vocabulary, clarity, correctness, and the skillful employment of literary devices.

The Era of Prakrit and its Literature: The period from 500 BCE to 1100 CE is identified as the era of Prakrit languages. During this time, various dialects spoken by the common people evolved into literary forms like Pali, Prakrit used in inscriptions, Ardhamagadhi in Jain Agamas, and specific Prakrits like Paishachi, Maharashtri, Magadhi, and Shauraseni found in Sanskrit dramas.

The Prakrit literary landscape is vast and includes:

Jain Agamas and their commentaries
Ancient scriptures of the Digambara sect
Post-Agamic Jain religious literature
Prakrit narrative literature (katha)
Prakrit biographical literature (charitra)
Prakrit poetry (kavya)
Prakrit used in Sanskrit dramas
Works on grammar, prosody (chandas), lexicography (kosha), and alankara (poetics)
Prakrit used in sermons and epigrams (upadesha and subhashitas)
Classical Prakrit literature (shastriya Prakrit samhita)

The Prominence of Shabdalankaras in Prakrit: While shabdalankaras are found in various forms of Prakrit literature, their most prominent presence is in Prakrit poetry. Prose literature often features the graceful arrangement of letters, a form of anupras (alliteration/assonance), and shlesh (pun/double meaning), which are abundant due to the diversity of Prakrit's Sanskrit roots.

The Importance of Alankaras in Literature: Tripathi asserts that ornaments (alankaras) are integral to literature, enhancing its beauty and impact. He references poetic traditions that consider unadorned beauty inferior and quotes authorities who state that ornaments are essential for the aesthetic appeal and effectiveness of poetry. The author stresses that ornaments are vital for expressing inner emotions, reinforcing thoughts, creating lyrical beauty, and clarifying mental imagery.

Shabdalankaras as an Indispensable Part of Poetry: The article categorizes alankaras into three main types: those related to words (shabdagata), those related to meaning (arthagata), and those encompassing both (ubhayagata). Shabdalankaras are highlighted for their role in presenting word patterns simply to facilitate understanding and for their ability to captivate the listener through sound and rhythm. The author defines shabdalankaras as the very "form" of poetry as an art, contributing to the beauty of language through the arrangement of vowels and consonants, word formation, sentence structure, and the inclusion of semantic beauty or wonder.

The Infinite Nature of Shabdalankaras: The text acknowledges that the scope of alankaras, and by extension shabdalankaras, is vast and ever-expanding. While foundational shabdalankaras include anupras, yamaka (rhyme/repetition), punaruktavadabhas (feigned repetition), vakrokti (indirect speech/figurative language), shlesh, and chitra (pictorial figures), each has numerous sub-types, leading to an almost infinite proliferation of forms.

Examples of Shabdalankaras in Prakrit Literature: The article then delves into specific examples from Prakrit literature showcasing the use of shabdalankaras:

Setubandha (Ravana Vadha) by Mahakavi Pravarasena: This 5th-century epic, written in Maharashtri Prakrit, is noted for its balanced expression of emotion and its extensive use of anupras, yamaka, and shlesh in its narration of the Ramayana story.
Dharmopadeshamala Vivarana by Shri Jayasingh Suri (9th century): This work is praised for its significant use of chitra alankara (pictorial figures) alongside other shabdalankaras. It also features inter-language question-answer formats and unique chitra varieties like madhyottara, bahiruttara, ekalapaka, and gata-pratyagata using Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, Paishachi, and Magadhi.
Surasundari Charitra by Dhaneshur Suri (1038 CE): This work employs prashnottara-chitra (question-answer figures) in playful contexts. The author notes that Prakrit's flexibility allows a single Sanskrit word to have multiple meanings in Prakrit, facilitating such figures.
Dvyashraya Kavya by Acharya Hemachandra (early 12th century): This work, which narrates the life of Kumarpala and explains the rules of the Siddh-Hema Vyakarana, uses shlesh to connect Prakrit grammar with the narrative.
Shri Chitr Kavya by Shri Krishna Leelashuk (Govindabhisheka): This poem clarifies the works of Vararuchi's Prakrit Prakash and Trivikrama's Prakrit Vyakarana and includes certain akar-chitra (figures based on shapes).
Sudarsanachariya by Devachandrasuri (1270 CE): This work features guhayachitra (hidden figures) in the form of challenging questions posed to princesses.
Jinadattakhyana Dvaya by Sumatisuri (14th century) and Sirival-Kaha by Hemachandra (1371 CE): These works incorporate riddles (praphelika) and problem-solving (samasya-purti).
VajjalaGgam compiled by Jayavallabha: This compilation extensively showcases the development of shabdalankaras like anupras.
Saurichariya by Shrikantha Kavi: This work is a novel attempt in the tradition of yamaka poetry, with each stanza depicting Krishna's life through the yamaka ornament. The article provides examples of padanta-yamaka (end-rhyme) and antyayamaka (final rhyme).

Chitra Alankaras in Prakrit Stotra Literature: The article highlights the significant role of chitra alankaras in Prakrit devotional poetry (stotra). These figures, often visually formed by the arrangement or repetition of letters, represent a vast array of linguistic possibilities. The combination of devotional themes, the accessible Prakrit language, and chitra alankaras makes Prakrit devotional literature particularly noteworthy.

Examples of chitra stotras include:

Ajitasanti-thaya by Maharshi Nandisena (around 6th century): This chitra-stotra uses various meters and features 42 types of chitra-bandhas (pictorial arrangements).
Panha Gambha Panchaparamishthistavana by Jayachandrasuri: This stotra incorporates shringala jati, trigata, panchakritvagati, chatuhkritvagati, gatagata, dvigata, and ashtadal-kamala bindings.

The article also lists several other stotras that are rich in shabdalankaras, especially chitra alankaras, by authors like Ratnakirti Suri, Kamalaprabhacharya, Shri Purnakalash Gani, Jinaharsha, Shri Sanghakalash, Shri Dharmavardhan, Shri Samayasundar, Dharmaghosh, Jinaprabhasuri, Shubh Sundargani, and others. These include mantra-garbha (containing mantras), navagraha-swarupa-garbha (containing the forms of nine planets), ashtabhasha-maya (in eight languages), shad-bhasha-maya (in six languages), yamaka-baddha (composed in yamaka), and various thematic arrangements.

Conclusion: The article concludes by stating that the natural flow and melodiousness of Prakrit language, along with the fullness and richness of its words, create a sweet musicality that resonates with the hearts of sensitive listeners. This is why Prakrit was extensively used in dramas and considered essential for certain characters. The author notes that Jain scholars adopted Prakrit as their primary medium for literary and religious expression, preserving their vast religious literature in this language.