Chandah-shastra: The Arya Family of Meters

Verse 1 (garuda.1.208.1)

सूत उवाच । आर्यालक्ष्म त्वष्ट गणाः सदा जो विषमे न हि । षष्ठे जो न्लौ वापि भवेत्पदं षष्ठे द्वितीयलात्

sūta uvāca āryālakṣma tvaṣṭa gaṇāḥ sadā jo viṣame na hi ṣaṣṭhe jo nlau vāpi bhavetpadaṁ ṣaṣṭhe dvitīyalāt

Suta said: The mark of the Arya meter is eight ganas; a ja-gana never occurs in an odd position; in the sixth gana a ja-gana, or else na-la, may occur; the pada ends with the second syllable of the sixth gana being light.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.208.2)

आदितः सप्तमे ह्रस्वा द्वितीयार्धे शरे ततः । त्रिगणाङ्घ्रिश्च पथ्या स्याद्विपुला वह्निलङ्घनात्

āditaḥ saptame hrasvā dvitīyārdhe śare tataḥ trigaṇāṅghriśca pathyā syādvipulā vahnilaṅghanāt

From the beginning, at the seventh position a short vowel occurs, and again at the fifth position of the second half; a pada of three ganas is called Pathya, and when the third gana is departed from, it becomes Vipula.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.208.3)

ग्मध्ये द्वितुर्यौ जौ चपला मुखपूर्वादिचापला । द्वितीयार्धे सजघना आर्याजातेश्च लक्षणम्

gmadhye dvituryau jau capalā mukhapūrvādicāpalā dvitīyārdhe sajaghanā āryājāteśca lakṣaṇam

When ja-ganas occur at the second and fourth positions in the middle, it becomes Chapala; at the beginning it is Mukhachapala, further on it is Antyachapala; with sa-ja-na in the second half — such is the mark of the Arya class.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.208.4)

आर्या प्रथमार्धलक्ष्म गीतिः स्याच्चेद्दलद्वये । उपगीतिर्द्वितीयार्धादुद्गीतिर्व्यत्ययाद्भवेत्

āryā prathamārdhalakṣma gītiḥ syācceddaladvaye upagītirdvitīyārdhādudgītirvyatyayādbhavet

If the mark of the first half resembles the Arya's and both halves match it, it is called Giti; if formed from the second half, it is Upagiti; and by reversing the order, it becomes Udgiti.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.208.5)

आर्यागीतिश्चान्तगुरुर्गोतिजातेश्च लक्षणम् । षट्कला विषमे चेत्स्युः समेऽष्टौ न निरन्तराः । समा पराश्रिता न स्याद्वैतालीये रलौ गुरुः

āryāgītiścāntagururgotijāteśca lakṣaṇam ṣaṭkalā viṣame cetsyuḥ same'ṣṭau na nirantarāḥ samā parāśritā na syādvaitālīye ralau guruḥ

When there is a guru at the end, it is called Aryagiti — such is the mark of the Giti class. In odd positions there are six morae, in even eight, without break; the Sama meter does not depend on another. In the Vaitaliya, ra and la are heavy.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.208.6)

अन्तेर्यौ पूर्ववदिदमौपच्छन्दसिकं मतम्

anteryau pūrvavadidamaupacchandasikaṁ matam

With a ya-gana at the end, as before — this is known as the Aupacchandasika.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.208.7)

भाद्गौ स्यादापातलिका ज्ञेयाथो दक्षिणान्तिका । पराश्रितो द्वितीयो लः पादेषु निखिलेष्वपि

bhādgau syādāpātalikā jñeyātho dakṣiṇāntikā parāśrito dvitīyo laḥ pādeṣu nikhileṣvapi

With bha and ga, it is called Apatalika, to be known also as Dakshinantika; the second light syllable in every pada depends on the one before it.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.208.8)

उदीच्यवृत्तिरसमे प्राच्यवृत्तिस्तु युग्मके । सपञ्चमश्चतुर्थांशे युगपत्तौ प्रवृत्तकम्

udīcyavṛttirasame prācyavṛttistu yugmake sapañcamaścaturthāṁśe yugapattau pravṛttakam

In the odd padas the Udichya mode applies, and in the even padas the Prachya mode; when the fifth occurs together with the fourth portion, it is called Pravrittaka.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.208.9)

उदीच्याद्यङ्घ्रिसंयोगाद्युग्मपादैकपादिका । चारुहासिन्ययुग्माङ्घ्रौ वैतालीयस्य संग्रहः

udīcyādyaṅghrisaṁyogādyugmapādaikapādikā cāruhāsinyayugmāṅghrau vaitālīyasya saṁgrahaḥ

By the combination of Udichya-type feet, a meter of paired or single feet arises; in Charuhasini, in the even padas — such is the summary of the Vaitaliya.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.208.10)

वक्त्रं नाद्यान्नसौ स्यातां चतुर्थाद्यगणो भवेत् । पथ्यावक्त्रं जेन समे विपरीतादिरन्यथा

vaktraṁ nādyānnasau syātāṁ caturthādyagaṇo bhavet pathyāvaktraṁ jena same viparītādiranyathā

In the Vaktra, na-sa do not occur first; the gana-count begins from the fourth; Pathyavaktra is formed with a ja-gana in the even padas, otherwise by the reverse order.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.208.11)

उसमे नश्च चपला विपुला लघुसप्तमा । निखिले वा सैतवस्य म्रौ न्तौ चाब्धेस्तत्पूर्वकौ

usame naśca capalā vipulā laghusaptamā nikhile vā saitavasya mrau ntau cābdhestatpūrvakau

In the odd padas, na and chapala occur; Vipula has a light seventh syllable; or, entirely like the Saitava, ma-ra and na-ta occur, with a group of four before them.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.208.12)

षोडशलोऽचलधृतिर्मात्रासमकमुच्यते

ṣoḍaśalo'caladhṛtirmātrāsamakamucyate

The meter of sixteen syllables, of unwavering steadiness, is called Matrasama.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.208.13)

नवमलस्तथा गोऽन्त्यः जो न्लौवाथाम्बुधेर्यथा । विश्लोकः स्यात्तच्चतुष्कद्विगुणाद्वानवासिका

navamalastathā go'ntyaḥ jo nlauvāthāmbudheryathā viślokaḥ syāttaccatuṣkadviguṇādvānavāsikā

With a light syllable at the ninth position and a heavy one at the end, and a ja-gana or na-la after the manner of the four, it becomes Vishloka; from double its four padas arises Anavasika.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.208.14)

बाणाष्टनवकेषु स्याल्लश्चित्रा षोडशात्मिका । सममात्रासमादिष्टं पदाकुलकमीरितम्

bāṇāṣṭanavakeṣu syāllaścitrā ṣoḍaśātmikā samamātrāsamādiṣṭaṁ padākulakamīritam

With light syllables at the eighth and ninth positions, the sixteen-syllable meter is called Chitra; when of equal morae throughout, it is declared Padakulaka.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.208.15)

वृत्तमात्रा विना वर्णैर्ला वर्णा गुरुभिर्विना । गुरुवो लैर्दले नित्यं प्रमाणमिति निश्चितम्

vṛttamātrā vinā varṇairlā varṇā gurubhirvinā guruvo lairdale nityaṁ pramāṇamiti niścitam

A vritta (fixed-syllable meter) counts not by morae but by fixed syllables; the light syllables occur without the heavy; in each half, the heavy and light syllables together fix an unchanging measure.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.208.16)

अष्टाविंशातिला गन्ता प्रथमार्धे द्वितीयके । त्रिंशदस्यां शिखा गन्ता खञ्जातद्व्यत्ययाद्भवेत्

aṣṭāviṁśātilā gantā prathamārdhe dvitīyake triṁśadasyāṁ śikhā gantā khañjātadvyatyayādbhavet

In the first half twenty-eight morae proceed, in the second thirty — this is Shikha; by the reverse order, Khanja is formed.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.208.17)

षोडशानङ्गक्रीडा गा द्वात्रिंशच्चरमे च लाः । सप्तविंशातिला गन्ता दलयो रुचिरा द्वयोः

ṣoḍaśānaṅgakrīḍā gā dvātriṁśaccarame ca lāḥ saptaviṁśātilā gantā dalayo rucirā dvayoḥ

In Anangakrida, sixteen morae and a heavy syllable at the end, ending at thirty-two; when twenty-seven morae proceed in both halves, it is called Ruchira.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.208.18)

मात्रावृत्तानि चोक्तानि वर्णवृत्तानि वच्मि वै

mātrāvṛttāni coktāni varṇavṛttāni vacmi vai

Thus have the mora-counted meters been declared; now I shall speak of the syllable-counted meters.