Bharata’s Nāṭya Śāstra and
Yamaka in Early Tamil Literature.
R.Nagaswamy
Bhatata in his Nātya śāstra deals with beauty and embellishment in poetry, besides qualities and defects under Kāvya lakshana in Chapter 16. The embellishments in poetry called Alankāra is brought under two broad catagories as Arthālamkāra and Sabdālamkāra i.e embellishment of meanings (artha) and embellishment of Sound (Sabda). The arthālamankāras are Upamāna, Dipaka and Rupaka while the Sabdālamkāra is embellishments with sound through repetition of same syllables, words, phrases and lines which he calls as Yamaka. We will deal with Yamaka in this article.
Unfortunately later developments in poetics had made the understanding of this embellishment rather complex so much so many think it is difficult to follow. For example the definition given for Yamaka states that repetition of word which by separating the syllable and joining them with the next word would give different meaning. The Lexicon gives the following meaning “the repetition in the same stanza of words or syllables similar in sound but different in meaning”. The example given generally is the most difficult verse. But Bharata has made it quite simple to comprehend the composition and when understood properly it is one of the finest devises to enhance the beauty of the poem.
First and foremost Yamaka is defined by Bharata as employment of sabda repetitively in the rhymes (Pāda) of poetry that is pleasing. He also says this is employed in musical compositions to sing and especially in compositions meant for dance. By repeating the words the rhythmic effect is enhanced, and an emphasis is given to a particular bhāva or meaning to grasp the situation and the ethos of the sāhitya. This was employed in ancient poems quite liberally and also in varieties. So Bharata gives this as the only Sabdālamkāra with ten subdivisions. We have seen that the simple definition of Yamaka is repeating or doubling the sound of syllable, words, phrases or lines to make the poem enchanting.
Sabdābhyāsah tu yamakam pādātishu vikalpitam
The following are the ten subdivisions Bharata gives
One need not be puzzled by these terminologies. When a syllable or word or phrase is repeated at the end of the lines it is called Pāda-anta-yamakam (Pāda Line; anta end) if we understand one or two it is easy to follow. Bharata gives the examples also
for easy understanding but most of the examples consist of poems with four lines. One can follow it and then extend them to other examples.
Pādānta Yamakam
Caturnām pādānam yat pādānte samam aksharam
Tad vai syāt pādānta yamakam iti nāmatah
Example :
Dinakshayāt samhrta rasmi maņḍalam
Diviva lagnam tapaniya maņḍalam
Vibhāti āmram divi surya maņḍalam
Yathā tarunyah stanbhāra maņḍalam
At this stage I may suggest that one need not worry about the meaning in Yamaka at first But just note the last word “maņḍalam
” is repeated at the end of all the four lines of this poem. That is, the same word is repeated in all the lines at the end. This is called “Pāda-anta-yamakam”.
Pādādi Yamakam
Similarly same word may be repeated at the beginning of the lines for example:
Vishnuh srjati bhūtani
Vishnuh samharate prajāah
Vishnuh prasūte trailokyam
Vishnuh lokādhi daivatam
In this poem the word Vishnuh appears in all the four lines at the beginning _. This is an example of Pāda-ādi yamakam ( i.e the same word at the beginning in all the lines) .
Āmrēdita Yamakam
One may find in the third example that the lines will have the last two words repeated.
Example:
Vijrimbitam nisvasitam muhur muhuh
Katham vidheyam smaranam pade pade
Tathā ca te dhyānam idam punah punah
Dhruvam gatā rajani vinā vinā
Sandashṭa Yamakam
This is another variety in which two words at the beginning appear in all lines it is called well knit or well brought together Yamakam. (Sam-Well, damṣṭakam-Brought together )
Example
Paśya paśsya ramaṇasya me guṇān
Tena tena vaśagām karoti mām
yena yena sameti darśanam
Tena tena vaśagam karoti mām
In this example the beginnings of all lines repeat first word twice.
Catur-vyavasthitam
This is another simple Yamaka in which all the words in a line are repeated in all the four lines in the same order. So the four lines are specially established. Example:
Vāranānām ayam eva kālah
Vāranānam ayam eva kālah
Vāranānam ayam eva kālah
Vāranānām ayam eva kālah
It may be seen in this example all the four lines have the same word in the same order. So it called the specially stand (vyavasthitah;) Chaturnām (in all the four lines)
Chakravāla yamakam
When the end word of one line is made the first line of the next line then it is called Chakravāla-like a wheel.
Example
Sailā yathā satrubhij āhatāh hatāh
Hatāsch bhũyah anu puṅkha puṅkhavaih
Khagaiśca sarvaih yudhi sancitās citāh
Citādhi ruddhāh nihatāh talaih talaih
Vikrānta yamakam
If a line or phrases are repeated in alternate line it becomes the Vikrānta yamakam (Vikrānta= alternate).
example:
ya pśrvam vārano bhūtvā
dvi-sringā iva parvatāh
abhavat anta vaikalyāt
dvi-sringā iva parvatāh
Samudga yamakam
If two lines are repeated alternately the verse then it is called Samudga yamakam
Example;
Ketaki kusuma pāndara dantah
Sobhate pravara kānana hasti
Ketaki kusuma pāndara dantah
Sobhate pravara kānana hasti
Kāñchi Yamakam
This variety appears as a girdle and so called Kānchi
Example:
Yāme yāme candravatinām dravatinām
Vyaktā vyaktā sarajaninām rajaninām
Phulle Phulle sambhramare bhramare vā
Rāmā rāmā vismayate vā smayate vā
Mālā Yamakam
When a syllable in joined with different forms of wovels in a verse it is called Mālāyamakam (Mālā garland)
Exakmple:
Lāli bali hali māli kheli mali Sali jali
Khalo balo abalo māli musali tu abhirakshatu
It may be seen there is no need to first go into the meaning of these verses. One can conveniently forget the meaning. What is immediately recognizable is that the sound of the words, play an important role. One word at the beginning of a line or two words at the beginning or one or two words at the end or in the middle repeated in two lines, or alternate lines or three lines or four lines etc are considered Yamaka and each given a name for recoginition. The main point is the repetition of words for beautifying the form and emphasizing a bhāva or meaning especially in musical or dance compositions are the Yamaka. We are aware of the musicians repeating the words or lines several times to establish the form which is common in concerts. The Yamaka is one of the vital embellishment in kāvya and is a simple repetition of words or phrases or lines. Once this role is understood its place may be evident and so Bharata has given a special place to this alamkāra in his work.
Another point that deserves to be kept in mind is that a poem has other lakshaṇnas like guna (quality), doṣhas (blemishes), Bhūshaṇas (ornaments) leading to the realization of rasa apart from the śabdalāmkāra. They also play their roles.