anuvÄdam anuktvÄ tu
na vidheyam udīrayet
na hy alabdhÄspadaá¹ kiñcit
kutracit pratitiá¹£á¹hati
anuvÄdam - the subject; anuktvÄ - not stating; tu - but; na - not; vidheyam - the predicate; udÄ«rayet - one should speak; na - not; hi - certainly; alabdha-Äspadam - without a secure position; kiñcit - something; kutracit - anywhere; pratitiá¹£á¹hati - stands.
“ ‘One should not state a predicate before its subject, for it cannot thus stand without proper support.’
This rhetorical rule appears in the EkÄdaśī-tattva, Thirteenth Canto, in connection with the metaphorical use of words. An unknown object should not be put before the known subject because the object has no meaning if the subject is not first given.
