One: Scansion and Related Matters

 

1.16 Replacement

The compliment to resolution is when two light (or presumed light) syllables are replaced by one heavy one. This is seen much less frequently though than resolution. It should be noticed that there is a compliment to the rule of resolution when replacement takes place, as it always occurs after a word break, which shows that it is the first two syllables of a word that are presumed to be light. I call this the rule of replacement.

Example from Pàràyanavagga of Suttanipàta, (1068cd) 01 (Tuññhubha lines, normally 11 syllables to the line, the (presumed) light 6th & 7th syllables in both lines have been replaced by one heavy one):

ÜÜÛÜÐÜ,ÜÐÜÛÜÜ
Etaü viditvà sango ti loke,

ÛÜÛÜÐÛ,ÜÐÜÛÜÜ
bhavàbhavàya mà kàsi taõhan-ti. 02

 

last updated: March 2006