Ādi-līlāChapter 16: The Pastimes of the Lord in His Childhood and Youth

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 16.46

vipra kahe śloke nāhi doṣera ābhāsa

upamālańkāra guṇa, kichu anuprāsa

SYNONYMS

vipra kahe — the brāhmaṇa replied; ślokein that verse; nāhi — there is not; doṣera — of fault; ābhāsa — even a tinge; upamā-alańkāra — simile or metaphor; guṇa — quality; kichu — something; anuprāsa — alliteration.

TRANSLATION

The brāhmaṇa replied, "There is not a tinge of fault in that verse. Rather, it has the good qualities of similes and alliteration."

PURPORT

In the last line of the verse quoted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the letter bha is repeated many times, as in the words bhavānī, bhartur, vibhavati and adbhuta. Such repetition is called anuprāsa, or alliteration. The words lakṣmīr iva and viṣṇoś caraṇa-kamalotpatti are instances of upamā-alańkāra, for they exhibit metaphorical beauty. The Ganges is water, and Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune. Since water and a person are not actually similar, the comparison is metaphorical.

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