However this is even more unsatisfactory than with the ArdhasamavÔtta tables given above, because none of the ViùamavÔtta metres described in the prosodies have, in fact, the same amount of syllables in each line.

One of the most basic of these metres for instance, Padacaturårdhva, is desribed very simply as having 8, 12, 16, & 20 syllables in the four lines. No shape is indicated, the number is sufficient. The table that would have to be drawn up to outline the possible profiles found in this metre then would be 72,057,594,037,927,936 lines long!

It is not feasible, of course, to draw up such a table, so I give here the metres I have come across in the prosodies, but without their serial numbers:

 

Varieties of Padacaturårdhva:

ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ   âpãóa (Chøà, VR)

ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ   Pratyàpãóa (Chøà)

ÜÜÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÜÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ   Pratyàpãóa (Chøà)

ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ   Kalikà (VR)

ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ   Lavalã (VR)

ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜ   AmÔtadhàrà (VR)

 

last updated: October 2005