from
A Sanskrit Grammar for Students
by
Arthur Anthony Macdonell
Appendix II: Metre in Classical Sanskrit
The versification of classical Sanskrit differs considerably from that of the Vedic hymns, being more artificial, more subject to strict rules, and showing a far greater number of varieties of metre.
Classical Sanskrit metres are divided intoÞ
I. those measured by the number of syllables;
II. those measured by the number of moræ they contain.
Nearly all Sanskrit poetry is written in stanzas consisting of four metrical lines or quarter-verses (called pàda, `foot' = quarter). These stanzas are regularly divided into hemistichs or half-verses.
Quantity is measured as in Latin and Greek. Vowels are long by nature or by position. Two consonants make a preceding short vowel long by position, Anusvàra and Visarga counting as full consonants. A short vowel counts as one mora (màtrà), a long vowel (by nature or position) as two.
I. Metres measured by Syllables
(Akùara-cchandaþ)
These consist ofÞ
A. two half-verses identical in structure, while the quarter-verses I and 3 differ from 2 and 4.
B. four quarter-verses all identical in structure.
A. The øloka.
The øloka (`song,' from èru, `hear'), developed from the Vedic Anuùñubh, is the Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other metre in classical Sanskrit poetry. It consists of two half-verses of sixteen syllables or of four pàdas of eight syllables.
Dividing the half-verse into four feet of four syllables, we find that only the second and the fourth foot are determined as to quantity. The fourth is necessarily iambic (ÛÜÛÅ) while the second may assume four different forms. The first and the third foot are undetermined, except that ÅÛÛÅ is always excluded from them. By far the commonest form of the second foot is ÛÜÜÅ (in Nala 1442 out of 1732 half-verses).
The type of the øloka may therefore be represented thusÞ
Ê Ê Ê Ê ÐÛÜÜÅÐ Ê Ê Ê ÊÐÛÜÛÅÐÐ.
E.g.
[ÜÜÜÜÐÛÜÜÛÐÜÛÜÛÐÛÜÛÜ]
âsãd ràjà NÏlº nàmÏ Ð VãrÏs¹nÏs›tº bÏlã
[ÛÛÜÜÐÛÜÜÜÐÜÛÜÜÐÛÜÛÛ]
›pÏpannº g›õair iùñai Ð råpÏvàn aèvÏkºvœdÏþ
It is only when the second foot has ÛÜÜÅ that the first foot may assume all its admissible forms. When the second foot has any of the other three forms, the first foot is limited, as shown in the following table:Þ
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|
I. |
II. |
III. |
IV. |
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1. |
Ê Ê Ê Ê Ð |
ÛÜÜ Ê ÐÐ |
|
|
|
2a. |
Ê ÜÛÜ Ð |
ÛÛÛ Ê ÐÐ |
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|
|
2b. |
Ê ÛÜÜ Ð |
ÛÛÛ Ê ÐÐ |
Ê Ê Ê Ê Ð |
ÛÜÛ Ê ÐÐ |
|
3. |
Ê ÜÛÜ Ð |
ÜÛÛ Ê ÐÐ |
|
|
|
4. |
Ê ÜÛÜ Ð |
Ü,ÜÜ Ê ÐÐ |
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|
The first (typical) form is called Pathyà the remaining three called Vipulà, are in the above table arranged in order of frequency of occurrence. Out of 2579 half-verses taken from Kàlidàsa (Raghu-vaüèa and Kumàra-sambhava), Màgha, Bhàravi, and Bilhaõa, each of the four admissible forms of the øloka in the above order claims the following share: 2289, 116, 89, 85.
In the table a dot indicates an undetermined syllable: a comma marks the cæsura.
The end of a pàda coincides with the end of a word (sometimes only with the end of a word in a compound), and the whole øloka contains a complete sentence. The construction does not run on into the next line. Occasionally three half-verses are found combined into a triplet.
B. All Four Pàdas identical in Form.
1. Of the numerous varieties developed from the Vedic Triùñubh (11 syllables to the pàda), the commonest areÞ
a. Indravajrà: ÜÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÛÜÛÐÜÜÐÐ.
b. Upendravrà: ÛÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÛÜÛÐÜÜÐÐ.
c. Upajàti (a mixture of the above two): ÅÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÛÜÛÐÜÅÐÐ.
d. øàlinã: ÜÜÜÐÜ,ÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÜÜÐÐ.
e. Rathoddhatà: ÜÛÜÐÛÛÛÐÜÛÜÐÜÜÐÐ.
2. The commonest forms of Jagatã (12 syllables to the pàda) areÞ
a. Vaüèastha: ÛÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÛÜÛÐÜÛÜÐÐ.
b. Drutavilambita: ÛÛÛÐÜÛÛÐÜÛÛÐÜÛÜÐÐ.
3. The commonest variety of øakvarã (14 syllables to the pàda) isÞ
Vasantatilakà: ÜÜÛÐÜÛÛÐÛÜÛÐÛÜÛÐÜÅÐÐ.
4. The commonest form of Atièakvarã (15 syllables to the pàda) isÞ
Màlinã: ÛÛÛÐÛÛÛÐÜÜ,ÜÐÛÜÜÐÛÜÅÐÐ.
5. The commonest varieties of Atyaùñi (17 syllables to the pàda) areÞ
a. øikhariõã: ÛÜÜÐÜÜÜ,ÐÛÛÛÐÛÛÜÐÜÛÛÐÛÜÐÐ.
b. Hariõã: ÛÛÛÐÛÛÜ,ÐÜÜÜÐÜ,ÛÜÐÛÛÜÐÛÜÐÐ.
c. Mandàkràntà: ÜÜÜÐÜ,ÛÛÐÛÛÛÐÜ,ÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÜÅÐÐ.
6. The commonest form of AtidhÔti (19 syllables to the pàda) isÞ
øàrdålavikrãóita: ÜÜÜÐÛÛÜÐÛÜÛÐÛÛÜ,ÐÜÜÛÐÜÜÛÐÅÐÐ.
7. The commonest variety of PrakÔti (21 syllables to the pàda) isÞ
Sragdharà: ÜÜÜÐÜÛÜÐÜ,ÛÛÐÛÛÛÐÛÜ,ÜÐÛÜÜÐÛÜÜÐÐ.
II. Metres measured by Moræ.
A. Metres in which the sum total only of the moræ is prescribed (Màtrà-chandhaþ)
The Vaitàlãya contains 30 moræ in the half-verse, 14 in the first pàda, 16 in the second. Each pàda may be divided into three feet, the second always consisting of a choriambus, and the third of two iambics; while the first foot in the first pàda consists of a pyrrhic, in the second pàda of an anapæst. The half-verse thus contains 21 syllables. The following is the scheme of the half-verse:Þ
ÛÛÐÜÛÛÜÐÛÜÛÅÐÐÛÛÜÐÜÛÛÜÐÛÜÛÅÐÐ.
B. Metres in which the number of moræ in each foot (gaõa) is specified (Gaõa-cchandaþ).
Aryà or Gàthà has 71/2 feet to the half-verse, each foot containing 4 moræ (30 moræ altogether). The 4 moræ may take the form ÛÛÛÛ,ÜÜ,ÜÛÛ, or ÛÛÜ; in the 2nd and 4th they may also become ÛÜÛ; in the 6th they appear as ÛÛÛÛ or ÛÜÛ. The 8th foot is always monosyllabic; the 6th of the second half-verse consists of a single short syllable. Hence the second half-verse contains only 27 moræ.