The Sanskrit Drama in its Origin, Development, Theory & Practice c10.s7.4

c10.s7.4

Of the more elaborate metres, in which each syllable has a fixed length, the favourite is the *Vasantatilaka*, which occurs 179 times, while the *Upajāti* occurs 121 times. Next comes the *Çārdūlavikrīḍita* (92), *Mālini* (72), *Puspitāgrā* with the scheme ◡◡◡◡—◡—◡— | ◡◡◡◡—◡—◡—— (66), *Vaṃçasthā* (35), *Çālini* (2), *Çikhariṇi* (19), and *Praharṣiṇi* (17). Other metres are purely sporadic; they include the *Sragdharā*, *Hariṇi*, *Vaiçvadevi*,³ *Drutavilambita*,⁴ *Pṛthvī*,⁵ and *Bhujaṅgaprayāta*,⁶ while the *Suvadanā* occurs four times. There is one example of the *Upagīti* with 12 morae in the first and third Pādas, and 15 in the second and fourth, and one of the *Vaitālīya* with 14 and 16 in the two sets respectively. There is also one example of the shortest form of *Daṇḍaka* metre, with six short syllables followed by seven amphimacers, while there is also one shorter metre with six amphimacers. The rarity of the Āryā is remarkable; beside the one Upagīti, which is in Prākrit, there are only eleven, of which five are in Prākrit. Contrast the frequency of the Āryā in Kālidāsa where there are 31 out of 163 in the *Vikramorvaçī*, and 35 out of 96 in the *Mālavikāgnimitra*.