Appayya Dīkṣita on utprekṣā (“poetic fancy”)

More Kuvalayānanda here. (Earlier figures of speech: apahnuti and rūpaka.)

[XII. utprekṣā]

sambhāvanā syād utprekṣā vastu-hetu-phalâtmanā |
uktânuktâspadâdyâtra siddhâsiddhâspade pare ||

[XII.1. vastûtprekṣa / svarūpôtprekṣā]

[XII.1.a. uktâspadā vastûtprekṣā]
dhūma-stomaṃ tamaḥ śaṅke kokī-viraha-śuṣmaṇām |

[XII.1.b. anuktâspadā vastûtprekṣā]
limpatîva tamo’ṅgāni varṣatîvâñjanaṃ nabhaḥ ||

[XII.2. hetûtprekṣā]

[XII.2.a. siddhâspadā hetûtprekṣā]
raktau tavâṅghrī mṛdulau bhuvi vikṣepaṇād dhruvam |

[XII.2.b. asiddhâspadā hetûtprekṣā]
tvan-mukhâbhêcchayā nūnaṃ padmair vairāyate śaśī ||

[XII.3. phalôtprekṣā]

[XII.3.a. siddhâspadā phalôtprekṣā]
madhyaḥ kiṃ kucayor dhṛtyai baddhaḥ kanaka-dāmabhiḥ |

[XII.3.b. asiddhâspadā phalôtprekṣā]
prāyo ’ñjaṃ tvat-padenaîkyaṃ prāptuṃ toye tapasyati ||

Poetic fancy

“Poetic fancy” is an act of imagining an object as something entirely different. It is classified into the following subtypes (with accompanying examples), accordingly as the following aspects of the object are re-imagined:

1. the object itself [XII.1], such that
1. its occasion of use is mentioned [XII.1.a]:
   “I suspect this darkness to be the thick cloud of smoke of the fires of separation of the kokī birds.”
2. its occasion of use is not mentioned [XII.1.b]:
   “The darkness seems to ooze all over limbs; the sky seems to rain eye-black.” [The unmentioned occasion is night.]
2. the cause of the object [XII.2], such that
1. it has been established [XII.2.a]:
   “Your two tender feet have turned red, no doubt to their having touched the earth.”
2. it has not been established [XII.2.b]:
   “The moon contends with lotuses, only out of its desire for your face’s beauty.”
3. the effect of the object [XII.3, such that
1. it has been established [XII.3.a]:
   “Your waist is bound by the golden folds of your skin, surely to support your breasts”
2. it has not been established [XII.3.b]:
   “Lotuses perform their austerities immersed in water, only to unite with your feet.”