महाकवि पुष्पदंत द्वारा रचित महापुराण की बिम्ब-योजना

Summary

Based on the provided text, this document analyzes the concept of "kavya-bimba" (poetic image) in the context of the "Mahapurana," an Apabhramsha epic by the poet Pushpadanta. The author begins by establishing the importance of the poetic image in Western criticism, citing critics like Dryden and Ezra Pound, who consider it the essence of poetry. The discussion then shifts to the Indian critical tradition, noting that while ancient schools like the Alankara and Dhvani schools addressed imagery, it was not analyzed in a modern psychological sense. The text explains that in Indian poetics, "bimba" (image) and "pratibimba" (reflection) are used in figures of speech like Drishtanta and Nidarshana. The Dhvani school, particularly Anandavardhana, is seen as closest to the modern concept of the image, where the suggested meaning (vyangyartha) is distinct from the literal meaning, much like grace (lavanya) is distinct from the limbs of a body. The core of the document is an analysis of Pushpadanta's "Mahapurana," which is described as a supreme work of Apabhramsha literature, blending philosophy, history, and poetry to depict human self-development. The poet's worldview is Jain, emphasizing dignity and action over inertia. The author then categorizes the images in the epic based on sensory perception: visual (chakshusha), auditory (shravya), tactile (sparshya), olfactory (ghranika), and gustatory (asvadya). Examples are provided for each category, such as the visual image of the sunset as a ball thrown by the sun-king, the auditory image of a noisy city, the tactile image of a sorrowful woman, and the olfactory image of fragrant bathwater. The analysis concludes that Pushpadanta skillfully uses these images, often with the aid of figures of speech like utpreksha (poetic fancy) and personification, to create vivid and emotionally