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The Metre of Jinacarita ⁰¹

In this edition the poem consists of 472 verses, ⁰² of which 328 are written in the familiar Siloka metre (= 69%). Most of these (647 pàdayugas) are pathyà in form (98%), and there are only 10 variations in the whole text: mavipulà 54b, 180c, 401a; navipulà 56b, 140a, 184c, 195c, 322a, 324c; and bhavipulà 458b, which illustrates how much the pathyà form had come to dominate Siloka composition by this time.

Of the other metres the most common is Vasantatilakà, which Ven. Medhaïkara handles particularly well. It has 14 syllables to the line, and its outline may be described thus: ÜÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÜ x 4

There are 50 verses in this metre (= 11%), including the run of 21 verses near the end of the poem which describe the Buddha's Rains Residences (vv. 75-78, 87-90, 92, 93, 98, 136, 137, 193, 220, 222, 244-253, 279, 359, 360, 436-456).

Also fairly common is the Upajàti, which normally consists of a mixture of Indavajirà and Upindavajirà lines. ⁰³

The metre in this form occurs 43 times (= 9%: vv. 42, 80, 86, 95, 99, 100, 101, 105, 106, 125, 126, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 142, 199, 212, 265, 266, 277, 294, 295, 296, 307, 308, 309, 326, 327, 328, 347, 352, 353, 354, 395, 403, 405, 408, 421, 429). There is a verse at 230, which is mixed Upindavajirà and Vaüsaññhà, which we must also formally count as Upajàti.

Indavajirà occurs by itself 9 times: vv. 51, 91, 94, 141, 217, 280, 350, 406, 407; and Upindavajirà bvy itself 7 times: vv. 102, 103, 104, 144, 278, 349, 351. ⁰⁴

Vaüsaññhà (ÜÜÛÜÐÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÛÜ) is a metre of the Jagatã class, having 12 syllables to the line, there are 18 occurrences: (= 4%) vv. 73, 74, 97, 107, 108, 109, 129, 130, 143, 148, 149, 229, 304, 305, 306, 419, 420, 422).

Bhujaïgappayàta (ÛÜÜÛÜÜÛÜÜÛÜÜ) is another metre of the Jagatã class, having 12 syllables to the line, there are 5 occurrences: vv. 160, 161, 432, 433, 434.

Màlinã (ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ,ÜÛÜÜÛÜÜ) is a metre of the Atisakkarã class, having 15 syllables to the line. There are 8 occurrences: (= 2%) vv. 84, 85, 192, 336, 337, 338, 435, 457.

Rathoddhatà (ÜÛÜÛÛÛÜÛÜÛÜ) is a metre of the Tuññhubha class, having 11 syllables to the line. There is only one verse in this metre, v. 172.

Varivasità ⁰⁵ (ÛÛÜÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ) is a very unusual metre of the Atijagatã class, having 13 syllables to the line. There is only one verse in this metre, v. 404.

Saddålavikkãëita (ÜÜÜÛÛÜÛÜÛÛÛÜ,ÜÜÛÜÜÛÜ) is an elaberate metre of the Atidhuti class, having 19 syllables to the line. There is only one verse in this metre, v. 418.

Anandajoti Bhikkhu,
October, 2006