330 - An abridgement of the rules of metres

This chapter sums up the third chapter of Pingala. 

Agni said:

1. When a quarter does not have the sufficient letters it has to be filled with iya etc. The Gayatrīs are known to have eight in a quarter. The Jagati (would have) twelve in a quarter. Virät is said to have ten

2-5a. The Trishtubh has eleven letters in a quarter. There are also others having Ekapäda¹ (one foot) etc. (Gayatra metre) consists of four feet, six letters in each foot. In some places it has seven letters. The Pratistha (gayatri) has three feet (having eight, seven and six letters respectively). Vardhamana consists of three feet having six, eight and eight letters respectively. (The Pratishthå gåyatri) has three feet having six, eight and seven letters. The Nägigayatri (consists of) three feet having nine, nine and six (syllables) respectively. Vårāhi (would have) six, nine and nine (letters). The third one (Virāț gāyatri) having two feet (would have) twelve and eight (syllables) and that having three feet (would have) same syllables as Trishțubh (ie., eleven syllables each). 

1. one foot, two feet etc. 

5b. The Ushņik metre is described in the Vedas (as having) eight syllables in two feet (and twelve syllables in the third foot). 

6-7a. (The variety of) Ushņik (known as) Kakub (would have) three feet (consisting of) eight, twelve and eight letters. Pura-ushņik would have three feet having twelve, eight and eight letters, the Paro-ushnik would be the next (having eight, eight and twelve syllables). A nietre with four feet (having seven syllables is also Ushņik). 

7b-8a. (The metre) with eight letters in each one of the four feet would be Anushtup. It may have three feet also sometimes. It may have eight, twelve and twelve letters. If the middle and end (of a Jagati is a Gayatra it is also Anushtup). 

8b-11. Bruhati would be one foot Jagati and three fect Gayatri. (If the first Jägata foot is) third (and others Gayatri) it is Pathyā (Bruhati). (If the first Jägata foot is) second (and others Gayatri) it is Nyankusäriņi (Bruhati). The same is known as Skandho-grivi according to Kraushtuki. The same is known as Urobruhati according to Yaskha. (If the Jägati foot is) at the end (and the rest are Gayatra) it is Uparishtād-bruhati. (If the same Jagati foot is) at the beginning (and the rest are Gayatra) it is Purastād-bruhati. In some (texts) there would be four feet 

with nine syllables each (also known as Bruhati). In some places (it would have eight letters, Mahåbruhati is constituted of three Jagati feet. The same is Satobrhati according to Bhandila¹. 

1. The Chandaḥ Sutra III. 36 reads as Tändin.

12. If the first two of the four feet (are Jagati and the other two Gāyatri) it is Pankti. (Another variety of Pankti) is Sataḥpankti.² Even if it is in reverse order(it is Sataḥparkti)³. (If the first two feet are Jagati) it is Prastāra-pankti. (If the Jagati occurs) in the last two feet it is Aståra-parkti. 

2. having first and third as Jagati.

3. i.e., having first and third feet Gåyatri and the rest Jagati. 

13. The Aksharapankti consists of four feet having five letters in each half of each foot. Padapankti consists of five feet (having five letters in each). (If the first foot has) four letters, (the second) six letters and the last three (five letters) (it is also Padapankti). 

14. It would be Jagati-pankti if it has six (Gayatri) feet (and Pathya-pankti) if it has five feet. It is said to be Jyotishmati Jagati if it has one foot (Gāyatri and the other three) Trisţubh. 

15. The Purastād-Jyotiḥ (tristup) consists of (Gäyatri) in the first (the remaining three being Trishtup). The MadhyaJyotih consists of (Gayatrī) in the middle (and Trishtup preceding and succeeding). Uparishtäjjyotiḥ (consists of three Trishtups and a Gayatri) at the end. 

16. It is known as Sankumati (gâyatri) (if it has one foot having five letters and three having six letters). Kakudmati (consists of) six (letters in one foot and the usual number in other feet). (The metre) would be (known as) Pipilikamadhyamā if it has (eight letters in the first and third and three in the middle) in the three feet. 

17. If the case is otherwise (i.e. it has few letters in the first and the third and many in the middle) it is known as) Yavamadhyā. It is known as Nicrut if (a Gåyatri having twenty four letters) has one letter less. If the same (Gayatri) has two letters less it would be Virāt. 

18-22. If the Gayatri) has two additional letters it would be Svarāț. In case of doubt (in the case of metre having twenty six letters whether it is Gåyatri Svarāț or Ushnik Svarāt), itshould be decided on the basis of the first foot. The deities of the metres are: Agni, Sun, Soma, Bruhaspati (preceptor of the celestials), Varuņa (lord of ocean and morality), Moon, and Viśvedevas. The musical notes sadja, rshabha, gāndhāra, madhyama, pañchama, dhaivata, nishāda (should duly be associated with the metres). (The metres beginning with Gayatri are) duly white, variegated, tawny, black, blue, red and white. The compositions are of the colour of gorocana (yellow pigment got from a cow). The metre called Jyotiḥ is black (coloured). The gotras (of the metres beginning with the Gayatri) are said to be Agniveśya, Kāśyapa, Gautama, Angirasa, Bhargava, Kausika and Väsishtha.