360. 398 CHAPTER VII

398 CHAPTER VII

production is like the construction of walls;1 and the use of Alankaras in it is like adorning them with paintings. Alankāra, therefore, presupposes Lakşaņa. Further, Lakșa- nas are the beautiful characteristics, which belong to and are the essential aspects of what the poet presents, like the plumpness in the case of breasts2 or the slenderness in the case of waist. But Alankara is something that exists apart from what is the object of presentation ; for instance, the moon, which is brought in as a standard of comparison in the course of a linguistic presentation of a beautiful face. Alankara in poetry is like a garland which is different from the body, which it serves to beautify.8 But Laksana is the beautiful characteristic of the body itself which is beautiful independently of the ornaments.

LAKŞAŅA DEFINED. Laksana is the meaning, which is given such a peculiar pleasing turn by the process of externalisation of poetic vision (Kavivyāpāra) as makes it look different4 from the ordinary worldly one so that it becomes a befitting consti- tuent of the æsthetic configuration and makes æsthetic experience possible. It is, according to Bharata, the most essential constituent of poetry5 (Kavya) which is solely concerned with the presentation of æsthetic objecte. For, it is this that distinguishes the æsthetic from the unæsthetic.

It is of thirty-six kinds, as stated by Bharata. But this number does not exhaust all the varieties". It represents those which are ordinarily met with. But the fact is that Laksana is of innumerable kinds. 1. Λ. Bh., Vol. II, 292. 2. A. Bh., Vol. II, 297. 3. A. Bh., Vol. II. 321. 4. A. Bh., Vol. II, 321. 5. A. Bh., Vol. II. 298. 6. A. Bh., Vol. II. 295-8. 7. A. Bh., Vol. II. 298.