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Concept
Vedic metre
Summary
Vedic metre refers to the poetic metre in the Vedic literature. The study of Vedic metre, along with post-Vedic metre, is part of Chandas, one of the six Vedanga disciplines.
In addition to these seven, there are fourteen less frequent syllable-based metres (Varna-vritta or Akshara-chandas):
8. Atijagati (13x4); 9. Śakkarī (14x4); 10. Atiśakarī (15x4); 11. Ashṭi (16x4);
12. Atyashti (17x4); 13. Dhritī (18x4); 14. Atidhritī (19x4); 15. Kṛiti (20x4);
16. Prakṛiti (21x4); 17. Ākṛiti (22x4): 18. Vikṛiti (23x4); 19. Śankṛiti (24x4);
20. Atikṛiti (25x4); 21. Utkṛiti (26x4).
Note: all metres have several varieties (from 2 to 30 depending on the case).
There is also the metre called Dandaka which is the general name given to other metres of this class exceeding the measure (26x4) of Utkriti (Dandaka is the No. 22 on the list compiled by H.H. Wilson).
There are several other minor metres found in the Vedas, of which the following are two examples:
4 lines of 10 syllables.
3 lines of 8, 12, 8 syllables.
E. V. Arnold classified the hymns of the Rigveda into four periods, partly on the grounds of language and partly of metre.
In the earliest period, which he calls "Bardic", when often the names of the individual poets are known, a variety of metres are used, including, for example, a ten-syllable version of the triṣṭubh; some poems of this period also often show an iambic rhythm (ᴗ – ᴗ –) in the second section of the triṣṭubh and jagatī metres.
The second period, the "Normal", has more regular metres.
The third period, the "Cretic", shows a preference for a cretic rhythm (– ᴗ –) in syllables 5 to 7 of the triṣṭubh and jagatī following a 4th-syllable caesura.
The last period, called "Popular", contains several hymns which also occur in the Atharvaveda collection; in this period also the anuṣṭubh tends towards the form it had in the epic period, with a trochaic cadence ( ᴗ – – x) in lines 1 and 3.
The shortest and most sacred of Vedic metres is the Gāyatrī metre. A verse consists of three octosyllabic sections (pāda).
Official source
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