काव्यमौक्तिकपञ्चकम्

गजे मत्स्ये वराहे च सर्पे सीपे च दर्दुरे।
शङ्खे वंशे च यन्न्यस्तं नवमं काव्य-मौक्तिकम्॥१

“What is a pearl? That, which is found in an elephant, fish, boar, snake, oyster, frog, conch, and bamboo, and the ninth one known as poetry.” (These eight pearls are mentioned in the Agni Purana.)

माणिक्यं वज्रकं नीलं पुष्पराजं च शुक्तिजम्।
गोमेदं च प्रवालं च वैदूर्यं गारुडं तथा॥२
एतानि नवरत्नानि दशमं काव्यमौक्तिकम्।
येनैव भूष्यमाणोऽहं सर्वरत्नविभूषितः॥३

“There are nine gems (navaratnas): ruby, diamond, blue sapphire, yellow sapphire, pearl, hessonite, coral, cymophane, and emerald. The tenth one is the pearl called poetry, adorned with which I become adorned with all gems.”

अन्वेषयसि किं बन्धो लुप्तं ते दिवि किं कवे।
मुग्धे मनोमरालस्य मुखे तत्काव्यमौक्तिकम्॥४

Q. “O Friend! What are you searching for? O Poet, what did you lose in the sky?”
A. “O Charming one! (I am looking for) the pearl of poetry in the beak of my mind-swan.”

गम्यते यदि कवीन्द्रमन्दिरं
प्राप्यते विविधसूक्तिमौक्तिकम्।
दुर्जनस्य निलये गते परं
कङ्करं कुटिलवाक्यकर्करम्॥५

“If one goes to a poet’s residence, one will find various pearl like bits of speech. But if one goes to a wicked person’s house, one will only find the vile gravel of crooked words.”