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Three: The Mixing of Metres

3.3 Vetàlãya, Opacchandasaka, & âpàtalikà

These metres, being built around the same structural principle, are quite frequently mixed, though with the first two it seems that the rule is that Vetàlãya should appear in the odd lines, and Opacchandasaka in the even (though there may be one or two counter-examples to this cf. Dhp 344 & Sn 527). With Vetàlãya and âpàtalikà there appears to be no particular rule about line order, perhaps because their mattà count is the same.

Examples: Vetàlãya & Opacchandasaka - Dhaniyasutta Sn I:2; Sabhiyasutta Sn III:6 (part: 510-540); Vetàlãya & âpàtalikà from Vangãsa's gàthàs Th 1214-1222.