अलंकार उदाहरणे — Alankar Examples in Marathi with Types & Explanation

Alankar (अलंकार) literally means "ornament." In Marathi literature and grammar, Alankar refers to literary devices or figures of speech that make language more expressive, beautiful, and impactful. They transform ordinary sentences into memorable, poetic, or powerful expressions.

Alankar are divided into two main types:

1. Shabdalankar (शब्दालंकार) — The beauty comes from the sound, rhythm, or arrangement of words. The meaning stays the same even if you replace the words with synonyms, but the musical effect is lost.

2. Arthalankar (अर्थालंकार) — The beauty comes from the meaning of the words — through comparisons, exaggerations, or imaginative descriptions. Even if you change the words, the figurative meaning remains.

Shabdalankar are figures of speech where the beauty and impact come from the sound, rhythm, or repetition of specific letters and words. They create a musical or rhythmic effect in the language.

1. Anupras Alankar (अनुप्रास अलंकार) Definition: When the same letter or sound is repeated multiple times in a sentence, it creates a rhythmic effect. This is called Anupras.

Examples: • "काकाने काकीच्या कपाटातील काकड्या काढल्या." — Here the letter 'क' is repeated throughout the sentence. • "बापुडी बाभूळ बहरून बहरली, बागेत बहरले बहर." — The letter 'ब' is repeated.

How to identify: Look for the same consonant or vowel sound appearing again and again in a line or sentence.

2. Yamak Alankar (यमक अलंकार) Definition: When the same word or group of syllables appears more than once in a verse but with different meanings each time, or when lines end with words that sound alike but carry different meanings, it is called Yamak.

Examples: • "सुसंगति सदा घडो, सुजनवाक्य कानी पडो | कलंक मतीचा झडो, विषय सर्वथा नावडो ||" — The ending sounds 'घडो', 'पडो', 'झडो', 'नावडो' create a rhyming pattern with different meanings.

How to identify: Check for words or syllable groups that sound alike but carry different meanings at specific positions in a verse.

Arthalankar are figures of speech where the beauty comes from the meaning — through comparisons, imagination, identity, or exaggeration. These are more varied and frequently tested in exams.

1. Upama Alankar (उपमा अलंकार) Definition: A direct comparison between two different things using comparison words like सारखा, प्रमाणे, परी, गत, सम, जसा-तसा.

Key terms: • Upameya (उपमेय) — The thing being compared (subject) • Upaman (उपमान) — The thing it is compared to (standard) • Upama Vachan (उपमा वाचक शब्द) — The comparison word (like, as) • Saman Dharma (समान धर्म) — The shared quality

Examples: • "सावळाच रंग तुझा पावसाळी नभापरी." — Skin tone (upameya) is compared to rain clouds (upaman) using 'परी' (like). • "मुंबईची घरे मात्र लहान, कबुतराच्या खुराड्यासारखी." — Mumbai houses compared to pigeon coops using 'सारखी' (like).

How to identify: Look for comparison words — सारखा, परी, जसा, तसा, गत, प्रमाणे, सम.

2. Utpreksha Alankar (उत्प्रेक्षा अलंकार) Definition: When one thing is imagined to be another — the poet does not directly compare but imagines or fancies that the subject is something else. Trigger words include जणू, काय, भासे, गमे, वाटे.

Examples: • "ती गुलाबी उषा म्हणजे परमेश्वराचे प्रेमच जणू." — The pink dawn is imagined as God's love using 'जणू'.

How to identify: Look for imagination words — जणू, काय, भासे, गमे, वाटे.

3. Rupak Alankar (रूपक अलंकार) Definition: When the subject (Upameya) and the standard of comparison (Upaman) are treated as one — they are not compared but identified as the same thing. No comparison word is used; instead, the poet states that one thing IS the other.

Examples: • "लहान मूल म्हणजे मातीचा गोळा." — A child IS a ball of clay (not like clay, but IS clay). • "दावि मुखचंद्रमा सकळिकांसी." — The face IS the moon (मुखचंद्रमा = face-moon merged into one word).

How to identify: No comparison word (सारखा, जणू etc.) is used. The two things are directly equated or merged.

4. Atishayokti Alankar (अतिशयोक्ती अलंकार) Definition: When a statement is exaggerated far beyond reality to create a dramatic or humorous effect, it is Atishayokti (hyperbole).

Examples: • "दमडीचं तेल आणलं, सासूबाईचं न्हाण झालं, मामंजीची दाढी झाली, भावोजींची शेंडी झाली, उरलेलं तेल झाकून ठेवलं, लांडोरीचा पाय लागला, वेशीपर्यंत ओघळ गेला, त्यात उंट पोहून गेला." — A tiny amount of oil is exaggerated to say a camel could swim in it.

How to identify: The description is clearly impossible or dramatically exaggerated beyond what is real.

Here is a quick reference table of all major Alankar types:

Shabdalankar (शब्दालंकार): • Anupras (अनुप्रास) — Same letter/sound repeated — Look for: repeated consonants like क, ब, प • Yamak (यमक) — Same sounding words/syllables with different meanings — Look for: similar sounding endings (घडो, पडो, झडो)

Arthalankar (अर्थालंकार): • Upama (उपमा) — Direct comparison using comparison words — Look for: सारखा, प्रमाणे, परी, गत, सम • Utpreksha (उत्प्रेक्षा) — Imaginative comparison — Look for: जणू, काय, भासे, गमे, वाटे • Rupak (रूपक) — Subject and standard treated as one — Look for: no comparison word; A IS B (not A is like B) • Atishayokti (अतिशयोक्ती) — Exaggeration beyond reality — Look for: impossible or dramatically overstated descriptions

Follow these steps when you encounter an Alankar identification question in your Marathi exam:

1. First, check for sound patterns — Is a letter or sound repeating? → Anupras. Are there words/syllables that sound alike but have different meanings? → Yamak.

2. If there is no sound pattern, look for comparison words (सारखा, परी, प्रमाणे, जसा-तसा) → Upama.

3. If there are imagination words (जणू, काय, भासे, गमे) → Utpreksha.

4. If two things are directly equated without any comparison or imagination word (A IS B, not A is like B) → Rupak.

5. If the description is clearly exaggerated or impossible → Atishayokti.

Remember the key trigger words: • अनुप्रास → Repeated letters • यमक → Similar sounding words with different meanings • उपमा → सारखा, परी, गत, प्रमाणे • उत्प्रेक्षा → जणू, काय, भासे, गमे • रूपक → No comparison word, direct identity • अतिशयोक्ती → Clearly impossible exaggeration