331 - Metres of different kinds

This chapter sums up the fourth chapter of Pingala.

Agni said:

1. (The metre) Utkruti consists of one hundred and four letters. Oneshould drop four letters (step by step) (and get other metres). They would respectively be metres abhi, sam, vi, ani and pra etc. (prefixed) to Kruti separately. 

2. Then there would be metres) such as Kruti, Atidhruti, Dhruti, Atyashti, Ashți, Atisakvari, Sakvarī, Atijagati and Jagati. 

3-4. The metres described hereafter are classical. The Vedic metres beginning with Trishțup (in the Vedas) (would be noticed in the same way in the classical). Trishtup, Pankti, Bruhati, Anushtup, Ushnik and Gayatri are said (to be the metres). Supratishtha (twenty letters), Pratishthả (sixteen letters), Madhyā (twelve letters), Atyuktà (eight letters) and Ukta (four letters): thus each one has lesser (number of) letters. 

5. The fourth part (of a Gayatri having twentyfour letters) would be a foot. The Ganacchandas¹ is described now. 

1. See ch. 328. v. 1-3. 

The gaņas are made up of four syllables. They may be a guru (long syllable) at the beginning, middle or end or two long syllables (or fourshort syllables). 

6. Four syllabic instants and five ganas (groups) are said to be the characteristics of the Arya (metre). When there are seven and a half gaņas in one half (of a verse) it is Arya. The other half also (would be similar). (In the Ary, the odd) are not jagana (having long syllable in the middle). 

7. The sixth (gana) would be a jagana. (The sixth) may be having allshort syllables. When it has allshort syllables the foot begins with the second word. (When it is long syllable in the middle or allshort syllables) and the seventh (is allshort) (the foot begins with) the first (letter). If in the second (half), the fifth (gana be allshort) (the foot begins with the first letter of the first half). 

8. If in the second half the sixth (gaña) (be either long in the middle or allshort), theshort vowel (is introduced). The variety of Āryā is known as Pathyā if it has three gaņas (in a foot) in the last half and first. 

9. Vipulā (is the next variety) (having no pause in the three gaņas in the last or first half or both). Chapala is that where the second and the fourth (ganas) are long in the middle, (the first is long at the end, the third is two long syllables, the fifth long at the beginning and the rest as usual). Mukhapūrvikä has the characteristics of Chapalā in the first half. 

10. In the Jaghanachapala, (there are the characteristics of Chapalā) in the second half. Mahachapalā (has the characteristics of Chapala) in both (the halves). Gīti is that where the first half is similar. 

11. Upagiti is that where the second half is similar. Udgiti is said to have the order reversed. Āryägiti (has) eight ganas in the (first) half. The metres regulated by prosodial instants (are described) now. 

12. Vaitaliya (metre) has seven (syllabic instants) in the first and the second quarter and sixteen lakdras (one matra syllables) in the second and fourth and thereshould be ra, la and ga at the end of both the foot. (If the Vaitäliya) has an additional long syllable (it is known as) Aupacchandasaka¹. 

1. The Purāņa reading Gopuccham is obviously incorrect.

13-15. The Pāţalikā² has bhagana (and two long syllables) at the end in addition to the above (characteristics). (The Lakara) that has not been described so far (in the aboveshould not be mixed) with the next. The second and third foot in the aboveshould not be employed separately. Prácyavrutti isshown (now). When in the second and fourth feet, the first lakara gets mixed up, it is (Pracyavstti). If the first lakära gets mixed up with the third in the first and the third feet, it is Udicyavrutti. If the above characteristics are found together in the same it is Pravruttaka. When all the feet (in the Vaitāliya) have the characteristics of the first and third (letters), it would be Chåruhäsini. When all the four feet possess the characteristics of the second and fourth (letters), it would be Aparäntikā. 

2. The Chandassūtra reads Apatalika.

16. It is said to be Måtråsamaka when there are sixteen lakäras (one matrā syllable) ending in guru. (At the end one of the two is made guru and the ninth is a lakära).³ When there are twelve lakāras and the ninth (retains its own form in a quarter) (it is called) Vänaväsikä. 

3. The text in the  Purāṇa is corrupt. 

17. (Where in all the four quarters) the fifth and the eighth (are lakäras and the rest as laid down) (it is) Visloka. Where the ninth lakāra remains as also the fifth and eighth it is Citrā. If it gets mixed with the next (i.e. the tenth) it is Upachitra. Pädākulaka is the next (metre). 

18-19. (Where there are sixteen lakäras in a quarter it is known as) Gītyåryå. (When the two halves of Gityāryā) are reversed (i.e. one half is allshort and the other half is all long) it is Sikha. When the first half is allshort (and second half is all long) it is Jyoti. When the first half is all long (and the second half is allshort) it is Saumya. Chũlikå is said to be having (twentynine lakäras in the first half and) thirtyone (in the second half) and a long syllable at the end. The number of syllablesshould be deducted from the number of mäträs so that the remainder would be gurus (long). The number of gurus (long)should be subtracted from the total number of matras so that the remaining would be laghu (short).¹ 

1. The Puräņa reading is corrupt here,