A History of Sanskrit Literature c28.s4.5

c28.s4.5

Metres measured by number of syllables and, except in the case of the Çloka, strictly regulated as to the quantity of the syllables, are thus predominant in classical poetry. But, probably from popular poetry, there came to be used metres in which only the sum total of the morae was absolutely fixed, there being indeed certain restrictions as to the mode in which these morae could be made up, but such restrictions allowing a variation in the number of syllables, the Mātrāchandas. The most common form of this type is the very simple Vaitālīya consisting of two half-verses of 30 morae each, 14 plus 16 in the two lines of each half-verse, made up as follows: ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ || ⏑⏑ ⏑⏑ ⎼ ⏑⏑ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ ⎼. If each line is lengthened by a long syllable we have the Aupacchandasika metre. More complex is the case of the Āryā,¹ which is recognized by metrical treatises as a Gaṇa-cchandas, the number of morae and the number of feet (*gaṇa*) being fixed. Thus the ordinary form of the Āryā has 7½ feet to the half-verse with 4 morae in each, 30 in all; the 4 morae can take the forms ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ ⏑, ⎼ ⎼, ⎼ ⏑ ⏑, ⏑ ⏑ ⎼; in the second and fourth feet ⏑ ⎼ ⏑ is also permitted; in the sixth only ⏑ | ⏑ ⏑ ⏑ or ⏑ ⎼ ⏑, while the last is monosyllabic. The second half-verse in the most usual form has in the sixth foot one short syllable, giving 27 morae, but we can have the position reversed, 27 plus 30 morae, Udgīti; or 30 plus 30, Gīti; or 27 plus 27, Upagīti; or 32 plus 32, Āryāgīti. If there is no caesura after the third foot the verse ranks as Vipulā; if in the second, fourth, and sixth feet the amphibrach is essential, as Capalā.