Ganacchandas (Arya, Ariya) Tables

Gaṇacchandas (Āryā, Ariya) Tables

As stated in the Mātrācchandas section in the gaṇacchandas metres a gaṇa is made up of 4 mātrā, and can therefore be any one of the following shapes:

−− (sarvaguru)
⏑⏑− (sagaṇa)
⏑−⏑ (jagaṇa)
−⏑⏑ (bhagaṇa)
⏑⏑⏑⏑ (sarvalaghu)

but in the definitions of the Gaṇaccchandas metres allowed for in the prosodies, not every gaṇa can contain each of these shapes; so e.g. jagaṇa (⏑−⏑) cannot appear in the odd-numbered gaṇa-s. On the other hand in the 6th gaṇa only jagaṇa, sarvalaghu, or a single laghu can appear; and in the 8th gaṇa the line is normally a single heavy syllable, but occasionally it is taken as a full gaṇa, and is then either sagaṇa (⏑⏑−) or sarvaguru (−−).

When we take these factors into consideration then we can outline the various shapes that the metres can contain in each gaṇa like this:

1^st	2^nd	3^rd	4^th	5^th	6^th	7^th	8^th
−− ⏑⏑− ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	−− ⏑⏑− ⏑−⏑ −⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	−− ⏑⏑− ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	−− ⏑⏑− ⏑−⏑ −⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	−− ⏑⏑− ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	⏑ ⏑−⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	−− ⏑⏑− −⏑⏑ ⏑⏑⏑⏑	− −− ⏑⏑−

When drawing up the tables for the Gaṇacchandas metres these restrictions have to be borne in mind.

last updated: October 2005