The 5th syllable ought always to be short. The 6th may be either long or short; but if long, then the 7th ought to be long also; and if short, then the 7th ought to be short also. But occasional variations from these last rules occur.

The last 4 syllables form two iambics; the 13th being always short, the 14th always long, and the 15th always short.

Every Sloka, or couplet of two lines, ought to form a complete sentence in itself, and contain both subject and predicate. Not unfrequently, however, in the Rámáyana and Mahábhárata, three lines are united to form a triplet.

936. In the remaining metres determined by the number of syllables in the half-line, each half-line is exactly alike; so that it is only necessary to give the scheme of one half-line, or quarter of the verse (Páda).

Note, that in printed books each quarter of the verse, if it consist of more than 8 syllables, is often made to occupy a line.

937.

Trishṭubh (11 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 22 varieties. The commonest are—

There is generally a cæsura at the 5th syllable.

Note-The above 2 varieties are sometimes mixed in the same stanza; in which case the metre is called Upajáti or Ákhyánakí.

940. Rathoddhatá,

941.

Jagatí (12 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 30 varieties. The commonest are

942. Vansa-sthavila,

943. Druta-vilambita,

944.

Atijagati (13 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 16 varieties. The commonest are

* The mark is meant to show that the last syllable is long at the end of the

half-line, but long or short at the end of the line.

948. Śakwari or Śakkarí or Šarkarí (14 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 20 varieties. The commonest is

I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IO II 12 13 14

950. Atisakwari or Atisakkarí or Atisarkarí (15 syllables to the

952.

Ashți (16 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 12 varieties; none of which are common.

957.

Cæsura at the 6th and 10th syllables.

Dhriti (18 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 17 varieties; one of which is found in the Raghu-vansa

958. Mahá-máliká, ~

959.

I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Atidhriti (19 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 13 varieties. The commonest is—
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

960. Sárdúla-vikríḍita,

Casura at the 12th syllable.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

961.

Kriti (20 syllables to the half-line).

Of this there are 4 varieties; none of which are common.

Prakriti (21 syllables to the half-line).

962.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 || 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Casura at the 7th and 14th syllables.

964. Of the remaining metres determined by the number of syllables in the half-line, Akriti has 22 syllables, and includes 3 varieties; Vikriti 23 syllables, 6 varieties; San-kṛiti 24 syllables, 5 varieties; Atikṛiti 25 syllables, 2 varieties; Utkriti 26 syllables, 3 varieties; and Dandaka is the name given to all metres which exceed Utkriti in the number of syllables.

965. There are two metres, however, peculiar to the Vedas, called Gayatri and Ushnih. The first of these has only 6 syllables to the quarter-verse, and includes II varieties; the second has 7 syllables to the half-line, and includes 8 varieties. a. Observe, that when the half-line is so short, the whole verse is sometimes written in one line.

b. Observe also, that great license is allowed in Vaidik metres: thus in the

Gáyatrí,

966. which may be regarded as consisting of a triplet of 3 divisions of 8 syllables each, or of 6 feet of 4 syllables each, generally printed in one line, the quantity of each syllable is very irregular. The following verse exhibits the most usual quantities:

I

2

3

but even in the b verse of each division the quantity may vary.

2d class of Metres, consisting of two lines, determined by the number of SYLLABLES* in the WHOLE LINE (each whole line being alike).

967. This class contains 7 genera, but no varieties under each Of these the commonest are

genus.

969.

There is a cæsura at the 10th syllable.

Aupachchhandasika (23 syllables to the whole line).

The scheme of this metre is the same as the last, with a long syllable added after the 10th and last syllable in the line; the cæsura being at the 11th syllable.

970.

Pushpitágrá (25 syllables to the whole line).

I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IO II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

* This class of metres is said to be regulated by the number of feet or instants in the line, in the same way as the 3d class. But as each line is generally distributed into fixed long or short syllables, and no option is allowed for each foot between a spondee, anapæst, dactyl, proceleusmaticus, and amphibrach, it will obviate confusion to regard this class as determined by syllables, like the 1st.

Ꮓ Ꮓ

3d class of Metres, consisting of two lines, determined by the number of FEET in the whole verse (each foot containing generally four instants or mátrás).

971. Note-Each foot is supposed to consist of four instants, and a short syllable is equivalent to one instant, a long syllable to two. Hence only such feet can be used as are equivalent to four instants; and of this kind are the dactyl (— ~ ~), the spondee (--), the anapast (~ -), the amphibrach (~ proceleusmaticus (); any one of which may be employed.

~), and the

Each line consists of seven and a half feet; and each foot contains four instants, excepting the 6th of the second line, which contains only one, and is therefore a single short syllable. Hence there are 30 instants in the first line, and 27 in the second. The half-foot at the end of each line is generally, but not always, a long syllable; the 6th foot of the first line must be either an amphibrach or proceleusmaticus; and the 1st, 3d, 5th, and 7th feet must not be amphibrachs. The cæsura commonly takes place at the end of the 3d foot in each line, and the measure is then sometimes called Pathya. The following are a few examples:

973. The Udgíti metre only differs from the Arya in inverting the lines, and placing the short line, with 27 instants, first in order.

974. There are three other varieties:-In the Upagíti, both lines consist of 27 instants; in the Gíti, both consist of 30 instants; and in the Áryágíti, of 32.

INDEX I.

OBS.-The numbers refer to the number of the rule.