E
The Meters
ofThe Way of the Poet-King
General overview
Mora-counting meters
Mora-counting meters is what we call those metrical forms that have a fixed number of moras per line. Because two moras can be instantiated by either two light syllables or one heavy syllable, the number of syllables in each line of a mora-counting meter varies.
In traditional Indian metrics, these meters are called jātiḥ or “types,” because the syllabic pattern of every token of the meter differs, while each token nevertheless instantiates a single abstract type.
Kanda
The kanda is the most common meter in the Way of the Poet-King and in early Kannada literature more generally. Its name is the Kannada form of the Prakrit word khandha (= Sanskrit skandha, more commonly khandaa/skandhaka), which is a name for a meter otherwise known in Sanskrit as āryāgīti. As this alternative name suggests, it is closely related to the āryā meter. In fact the āryā can be analyzed as a “modified” form of the skandhaka/āryāgīti, with the loss of a final syllable (called “catalexis”) and an additional syncopation in the second line.
In terms of its metrical structure, the Kannada kanda is exactly the same as the Prakrit khanda. It consists of two lines. Each line has eight gaṇas or “groups,” as follows:
| Groups: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moras: | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | μ | ||
| Syllables: (unsyncopated) |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ ।। |
ऽ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Syllables: (syncopated) |
। | ऽ ।। |
। | । | ऽ ।। |
। | । | ऽ ।। |
। | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Each of the “groups” contains four moras (μ). These four moras can in principle be realized by any combination of syllable. But like the āryā, the kanda is further regulated by rhythmic constraints. Hence the odd-numbered “groups” have to have an unsyncopated rhythm (represented by the first of the two rows of syllabic patterns above). The even-numbered “groups” may have an unsyncopated rhythm, but they can additionally have a syncopated rhythm (represented by the second of the two rows of syllabic patterns above).
There is generally a word-break after the third “group” (represented by the gray bars above), and at the end of the line.
The final syllable is always counted as heavy, even if it is naturally light.
Syllable-counting meters
What we call “syllable-counting meters” are those metrical forms that contain a specified number of syllables per verse line. In Indian texts they are called vr̥tta or “recurrences,” since they are based on the recurrence of a specified template of syllables. There are two main categories based on the domain of recurrence: samavr̥ttas contain the same (sama) pattern in all four lines, while ardhasamavr̥ttas contain four lines, of which the first and the third are identical to each other, as are the second and fourth (hence they are “half-identical,” ardhasama). Another way of categorizing these meters is based on the total number of syllables in the verse. Hence members of the jagatī group contain 48 syllables, members of the aṣṭiḥ contain 64, and so on.
In addition, the weight of syllables is almost always regulated as well, at least in certain positions in the line. Hence for most of these meters, each position is specified as being represented by a heavy syllable (ऽ) or a light syllable (।).
Most of the longer meters are also taught as having a word-break (yati) at a certain position in the line, which is marked below with dotted lines.
Vīra
This meter is not defined anywhere, to my knowledge. Its name must come from a label in a manuscript. Since the manuscripts of the Way of the Poet-King do not mention it, it is probably from the manuscripts of the Analysis of Literature (Kāvyāvalōkanaṁ), where another example is found (v. 847). It is closely related to the drutavilambita, formed from it by merging the first two light syllables into a heavy syllable.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
ऽ।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽDrutavilambita
Chandōmbudhi 2.75.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Jagatī (12 × 4 = 48 syllables)
।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽPuṣpitāgra
Ardhasamavr̥ttaḥ
(12 + 13) × 2 = 50 syllables
।।।।।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽऽ ।।।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽऽ ।।।।।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽऽ ।।।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽऽMaṅgala
See Chandōmbudhi 2.109.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Aṣṭiḥ (16 × 4 = 64 syllables)
।।।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ।।।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽMaṇivibhūṣaṇa
See Chandōmbudhi 2.105.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽŚārdūlavikrīḍita
See Chandōmbudhi 2.123.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Atidhr̥tiḥ (19 × 4 = 76 syllables)
ऽऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ऽऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ऽऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ऽऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽMattēbhavikrīḍita
The mattēbhavikrīḍita is a variant of the śārdūlavikrīḍita with two light syllables, instead of a heavy syllable, at the beginning of the line. See Chandōmbudhi 2.125.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Kr̥tiḥ (20 × 4 = 80 syllables)
।।ऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ।।ऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ।।ऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽ ।।ऽऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽUtpalamālike
See Chandōmbudhi 2.127.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Kr̥tiḥ (20 × 4 = 80 syllables)
ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽCampakamāle
The campakamāle is a variant of the utpalamālike with two light syllables, instead of a heavy syllable, at the beginning of the line. See Chandōmbudhi 2.129.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Prakr̥tiḥ (21 × 4 = 84 syllables)
।।।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ।।।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ।।।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽ ।।।।ऽ।ऽ।।।ऽ।।ऽ।।ऽ।ऽ।ऽSragdhare
See Chandōmbudhi 2.131.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Prakr̥tiḥ (21 × 4 = 84 syllables)
ऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽMahāsragdhare
The mahāsragdhare is a variant of the sragdhare with two light syllables, instead of a heavy syllable, at the beginning of the line. See Chandōmbudhi 2.133.
Samavr̥ttaḥ
Ākr̥tiḥ (22 × 4 = 88 syllables)
।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ।।ऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।।।।।।ऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽFoot-counting meters
“Foot-counting meters” are what we call those meters that are regulated by metrical units called dēvagaṇas. In ancient texts, these are simply called karṇāṭaka-viṣaya-jāti, “metrical types particular to Karnataka.” Modern scholarship has tended to call them aṁśa meters.