Dàñhàvaüsa

Appendix on the Metres

The metres employed in Dàñhàvaüsa are defined according to Classical standards, and are so regular that it is even possible to correct the text using only the metre as a guide (as has been done here on occasion). A short analysis and description follows:

There are 9 metres that occur in this work, which are as follows:

syllables:

metre name:

verse numbers:

total:

8

Siloka

63 to 122

60

11

Upajàti

187 to 282

96

12

Vaüsaññhaü

1 to 60

60

14

Vasantatilakà

340 to 407 & 409 to 415

75

15

Màlinã

284 to 338

55

17

Mandakkantà

185, 186

2

17

Sikhariõã

283

1

19

Saddålavikkãëita

339

1

21

Saddharà

61, 62, 408

3

In these verses all conjunct consonants make position (i.e. make the previous syllable heavy), e.g. hutvà and abravi in this pàdayuga:

ÜÜÛÜÐÛÜÜÜÐÐÛÜÛÛÐÛÜÛÜ   pathyà
kotåhalàkulo hutvà idaü vacanamÝabravi. [142] [2-80]

There is sometimes sandhi across the pàdayuga, there is then no pause between the lines, and the last syllable is therefore regarded as light providing the syllable itself is light, e.g.

ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÛ     Vasantatilakà
Saddhàdhanena sakhilena ca DhammakittiÝ

ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÜ
nàmena ràjagarunàcariyena eso

ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÛ
sotuppasàdajanano JinadantadhàtuÝ

ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÜ
vaüso kato nikhiladassipabhàvadãpo. [414] [6-6]

 

Siloka

There are 60 Siloka verses mainly showing the Pathyà form of the metre (220 lines, 92%), which is quite normal for the Classical period. The variations that occur are as follows:

mavipulà = 14 lines (6%)
navipulà = 4 lines (2%)
ravipulà = 4 lines (2%)
savipulà = 2 lines (1%)
bhavipulà = 1 line

 

Upajàti

There are 96 Upajàti verses, all of which consist of Indavajirà and Upendavajirà lines in one combination or another. All of these combinations have been given special names in the prosodies, which have been recorded here. The frequency of the variations is as follows (in the schemes given here I = Indavijrà lines, U = Upindravajirà lines. When there are 4 Indravajrà lines in a verse, the whole verse is known by that name (similarly with Upindravajirà, of course):

Indravajirà IIII 13
Sàlà IIUI 6
Bàlà IIIU 6
Kitti UIII 9
Vàõã IUII 6
Màlà UUII 4
Màyà IUUI 4
Haüsã UIUI 6
Allà UIIU 3
Bhadrà IUIU 11
Ràmà IIUU 7
Chàyà UUUI 0
Iddhi UIUU 4
Buddhi IUUU 5
Pemà UUIU 7
Upindravajirà UUUU 4

 

All the other metres have fixed quantities, except in the last syllable, which is normally anceps, i.e. counted as heavy no matter what its actual weight.

 

Vaüsaññhaü

There are 60 Vaüsaññhaü verses, all of which conform to the Clasical profile: ÛÜÛÜÐÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÛÜ. The lines written in this metre never run across the pàdayuga.

 

Vasantatilakà

There are a total of 75 verses written in this metre, in the last chapter and the verses identifying the writer that follow it. The profile for the metre is ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÜ, which is only deviated from when a compound crosses the seam of the pàdayuga, as at 340ab; 343cd; 351ab; 360ab; 371ab; 380ab, cd; 400ab; 409cd; 412cd; 413cd; 414ab, cd. Interestingly enough all of these lines have a short syllable in the last position of the first line, except for 371ab, which I am inclined to think should read kàriÝ.

 

Màlinã

55 verses are written in this difficult metre. The ideal scheme for the metre is ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ,ÜÛÜÜÛÜÜ with a caesura after the 8th syllable. Of the 220 lines 192 actually achieve this (87%), but 28 fail in this regard.

 

The remaining metres are used to close the chapters:

 

Mandakkantà

This metre closes the 2nd chapter. The profile for the metre is ÜÜÜÜ,ÛÛÛÛÛÜ,ÜÛÜÜÛÜÜ which occurs in all the lines.

 

Sikhariõã

One verse in this metre closes Chapter 3. The profile is ÛÜÜÜÜÜ,ÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÛÛÛÜ.

 

Saddålavikkãëita

One verse is found at the close of Chapter 4. The scheme is as follows: ÜÜÜÛÛÜÛÜÛÛÛÜ,ÜÜÛÜÜÛÜ.

 

Saddharà

The last metre has 21 syllables to the line. Two verses close Chapter 1; and one verse closes Chapter 5. The scheme is ÜÜÜÜÛÜÜ,ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ,ÜÛÜÜÛÜÜ, which all but one of the lines achieves.

 

ânandajoti Bhikkhu
January 2006

 

last updated: August 2008