Sloka meter
| ˘ ˘ | pyrrhus, dibrach |
|---|---|
| ˘ ¯ | iamb |
| ¯ ˘ | trochee, choree |
| ¯ ¯ | spondee |
| ˘ ˘ ˘ | tribrach |
| ¯ ˘ ˘ | dactyl |
| ˘ ¯ ˘ | amphibrach |
| ˘ ˘ ¯ | anapaest, antidactylus |
| ˘ ¯ ¯ | bacchius |
| ¯ ¯ ˘ | antibacchius |
| ¯ ˘ ¯ | cretic, amphimacer |
| ¯ ¯ ¯ | molossus |
Sanskrit prosody or Chandas refer to one of the six Vedangas, or limbs of Vedic studies. It is the study of poetic metres and verse in Sanskrit. This field of study was central to the composition of the Vedas, the scriptural canons of Hinduism, so central that some later Hindu and Buddhist texts refer to the Vedas as Chandas.
The Chandas, as developed by the Vedic schools, were notable for including both linear and non-linear systems. The system was organized around seven major meters, state Annette Wilke and Oliver Moebus, called the "seven birds" or "seven mouths of Brihaspati", and each had its own rhythm, movements and aesthetics wherein a non-linear structure (aperiodicity) was mapped into a four verse polymorphic linear sequence. The structure of meters in Sanskrit prosody include those based on fixed number of syllables per verse, and those based on fixed number of morae per verse.
The Gayatri meter was structured with 3 verses of 8 syllables (6x4), the Usnih with 2 verses of 8 and 1 of 12 syllables (7x4), the Anustubh with 4 verses of 8 syllables (8x4), Brihati with 2 verses of 8 followed by 1 each of 12 and 8 syllables (9x4), the Pankti with 5 verses of 8 syllables (10x4), the Tristubh with 4 verses of 11 syllables (11x4), and the Jagati meter with 4 verses of 12 syllables each (12x4). In Vedic culture, the Chandas were revered for their perfection and resonance, with Gayatri meter treated as the most refined and sacred, and one that continues to be part of modern Hindu culture as part of Yoga and hymns of meditation at sunrise.
Extant ancient manuscript on Chandas include Pingala's Chandah Sutra, while an example of Middle Ages Sanskrit prosody manuscript is Kedara Bhatta's Vrittaratnakara. The most exhaustive compilations of Sanskrit prosody contain over 600 meters. This is a substantially larger repertoire than in any other metrical tradition.
The term Chanda (Sanskrit: छन्द) means "pleasing, alluring, lovely, delightful or charming", and is based on the root chad which means "esteemed to please, to seem good, feel pleasant and/or something that nourishes, gratifies or is celebrated". The term also refers to "any metrical part of the Vedas or other composition".
The hymns of Rigveda include the names of meters which, states Peter Scharf, implies that the discipline of Chandas (Sanskrit prosody) emerged in the 2nd-millennium BCE. The Brahmanas layer of Vedic literature, composed between 900 BCE and 700 BCE, contain a complete expression of the Chandas. Panini's treatise on Sanskrit grammar distinguishes Chandas as verses that compose the Vedas, and Bhasya (Sanskrit: भाष्य) to be the speech language used for learned discourse and scholastic discussion of the Vedas.
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