207 - Prosody

Suta said: 

1. With an obeisance to Vasudeva, the preceptor Ganesha,1 Shiva and Sarasvati I Shall tell the ignorant about the metres which arc classified according to matras2 or varnas.3

1. Gana = Ganesha (SSED, p. 178).

2. Syllabic instants.

3. Syllables.

2. According to the position of Guru4 or Laghu5 in the beginning, in the middle or in the end; there are eight Ganas6 namely, Ma-gana7 Nagana8, Bha-gana9, Ya-gana10, Ja-gana11, Ra-gana12, Sa-ganal13, and Ta-gana14.

4. Long syllable (-).

5. Short syllable (-). 

6. Syllabic feet each consisting of three syllables are distinguished from one another according to the position of long and Short syllables (in the beginning, in the middle, in the end).

7. - - -

8. - - -

9. - - -

10. - - -

11. - - -

12. - - -

13. - - -

14. - - -

3. A vowel is Guru when it is followed by a consonant, Visarga, or a conjunct. A Dirgha15 vowel is always Guru. A vowel which is followed by Anusvara or which comes in the end is also Guru. It is of two Matras.

15. a, i, u, r, e, ai, o, au.

4. When the order of Laghu and Guru varies, it is called Shloka. When there is pause, it is called Yati. 

5. A quarter is called a Pada. When the quarters are equal, it is called Sama. When the quarters are un equal, it is called Vishama. Hence the metres are of three types—Sama1, Ardha-sama2, and Vishama3.

1. Equal.

2. Half-equal.

3. Unequal.