महाकवि पुष्पदंत द्वारा रचित महापुराण की बिम्ब-योजना

The article by **Dr. Gadadhar Singh** examines the **imagery (bimba-yojana)** employed by **Mahākavi Puṣpadanta** in the Apabhramsha epic **Mahāpurāṇa**. It begins with a theoretical discussion of poetic imagery, drawing on Western critics such as **Dryden, Ezra Pound, C. D. Lewis, and Dr. Nagendra**, and explains imagery as a creative, emotionally charged mental representation that gives poetic experience concrete expression. The article also relates imagery to Indian poetics, particularly the traditions of **alaṅkāra**, **dhvani**, and **suggestion (vyañjanā)**. The author classifies poetic imagery into five sensory categories: **visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory**, and studies these forms in Puṣpadanta’s *Mahāpurāṇa*. The work is presented as one of the greatest achievements of Apabhramsha literature, notable for its vast scope, philosophical depth, artistic grandeur, and synthesis of Purāṇic, historical, literary, and religious elements. Its central aim is portrayed as the spiritual development and expansion of human consciousness within a Jain philosophical framework. The article demonstrates that Puṣpadanta draws imagery from both lived experience and nature. Visual imagery receives the greatest emphasis and is used to portray character, moral qualities, human dignity, natural scenes, poverty, beauty, transience, and emotional states. Examples discussed include the poet’s self-portrait of spiritual independence, depictions of wickedness and virtue, sunset imagery, and scenes of natural beauty. Auditory imagery is employed extensively in descriptions of cities, public life, and movement, while tactile imagery conveys physical beauty, emotional sensitivity, and human feeling. The poet’s use of **personification** is highlighted through images such as the sun wiping the tears of a lotus injured by moonlight. Olfactory imagery appears in descriptions of fragrant bathing waters, flowers, forests, and moral teachings, including the comparison that sesame seeds become fragrant through contact with champa blossoms. Gustatory imagery is used more selectively, often through poetic imagination and figurative suggestion. The article also discusses **mixed imagery**, where multiple senses are activated simultaneously, especially in Puṣpadanta’s descriptions of spring. Such passages combine visual, tactile, and auditory effects to create vivid and dynamic poetic scenes. In conclusion, the author argues that Puṣpadanta was not merely a skilled poet but a visionary thinker whose imagery transforms beauty, spirituality, and human experience into powerful artistic expression. Even within depictions of suffering, destruction, or imperfection, he perceives beauty, faith, and auspiciousness. The article regards the study of imagery in *Mahāpurāṇa* as a subject deserving independent scholarly research because of its richness and complexity.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.