Watch Out, Pun!

Abstract

The paper examines several instances of the use of śleṣa in a 17th-century Braj poem commissioned by Shivaji Bhosle and composed in the Deccan. The subject of analysis is viewed from two perspectives: of the text’s genre (rītigranth) and the equivalence between the objects of comparison. To this end, the study brings into focus, on one hand, the issue of striking explicitness vis-à-vis deliberate unveiling of double meaning by the poet, and on the other, the relations between selected literary figures and the nature of śleṣa embedded within given examples. Besides showcasing an aspect of the poet’s virtuosity, the paper seeks to provide a template for wider discussion on the specifically Indian phenomenon of śleṣa in Braj courtly literary culture.