Anyokti, literally, is expression involving implied or the other meaning. In anyokti, the poet is supposed to convey some implied meaning, usually about the good or bad conduct of men or women, through the description of nature or actions of birds of animals. This figure of speech closely resembles aprastutaprasamsha and is something like a ‘miniature fable’.
Bhallata-sataka illustrates the use of anyokti. It contains
several thought-provoking reflections on the vicious ways of the world, couched
in unobtrusive language, ostensibly dealing with other matters. Thus, one
verse, addressed to Kalakuta poison, apparently refers to its rise from the
depth of the ocean, through the throat of Shiva and to the speech of villains.
The verse actually refers to the scandal-mongers in high places who cast their evil
spell on others. Another verse laments that the centipede with a hundred feet
cannot cross even a tiny pool on earth; it actually is a veiled hit at the
inefficiency of the well-entrenched bureaucracy, with all its paraphernalia.
Another verse apparently refers to a scarecrow put up by a
farmer to ward off cattle from the field, ignoring which, the cattle and deer
start eating the grain again. The verse actually refers to a ‘puppet
representative’ put up by a king, who cannot protect the hapless people from
unscrupulous tax collectors.
Yet another verse contains the idea that, to some people,
quartz is a jewel and jewel is quartz; it is only to the intelligent, that
quartz is quartz and jewel is jewel. The verse contains the suggestion, that
true discrimination is the privilege of a select few.
Anyokti is also called anyapadesha, wherein some moral is
preached by an indirect praise or censure of the natural qualities of particular
objects.
Anyoktimala by Accanadikshita and also by Lakshminarasimha,
and Anyoktimuktalata Sataka by Sambhu, who wrote under Harsha of Kashmir
(1080-1101 CE), are the other works on anyokti.