Anuṣṭubh (Sanskrit: अनुष्टुभ्, IPA: [ɐnʊˈʂʈʊp]) is a meter and a metrical unit, found in both Vedic and Classical Sanskrit poetry, but with significant differences.
By origin, an anuṣṭubh stanza is a quatrain of four lines. Each line, called a pāda (lit. "foot"), has eight syllables.
Arnold distinguishes three varieties of anuṣṭubh in the Vedic corpus: an early free form, with very few restrictions except a general iambic (u – u x) tendency in the cadence (vṛtta) of each of the four pādas; e.g.
ā´ yás te sar | pirāsute | – – – – | u – u – |
ágne śám ás | ti dhā´yase ‖ – – – – | u – u – ‖
áiṣu dyumnám | utá śrávah | – – – u | u – u u |
ā´ cittám már | tieṣu dhāh ‖ – – – – | u – u – ‖[1]
Next came a mildly trochaic development in the opening of each pāda; and finally the development of the "epic anuṣṭubh" (mostly in the Atharvaveda) prefiguring the classical śloka form. Although in these hymns the iambic cadence of the first verse is still the most frequent (25%) of all varieties, it is already very nearly equalled (23%) by the normal and characteristic cadence of the first verse in the epic anuṣṭhubh (śloka), where the iambic cadence in the first verse has entirely disappeared.
In Classical Sanskrit: the śloka
In classical Sanskrit the anuṣṭubh developed into its specific epic form known as śloka, as described above, which may be considered the Indian verse par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry.[2]
By the 5th century CE, in the poetry of Kalidasa, the śloka had the restricted form shown in the table above. Each half-verse of 16 syllables can take either a pathyā ("normal") form or one of several vipulā ("extended") forms. The pathyā and vipulā half-verses are arranged in the table above in order of frequency of occurrence. The most common is the pathyā. Out of 2579 half-verses taken from Kalidasa, Bharavi, Magha, and Bilhana, each of the four admissible forms of shloka in this order claims the following share: 2289, 116, 89, 85;[3] that is, 89% of the half-verses have the regular pathyā form.
In earlier epic, such as the Mahabharata, a fourth vipula is found, namely:
| x x x –, | – u – x ||
Two rules that apply in every śloka are:
1. In both pādas, in syllables 2–3, u u is not allowed.
2. In the second pāda, in syllables 2–4, – u – is not allowed.
Macdonell, Arthur A. (1927), A Sanskrit Grammar for Students, (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927) Appendix II.
Macdonell, Arthur A. (1916), A Vedic Grammar for Students Appendix II, p. 438. (Oxford University Press, 1916).
Oldenberg, Hermann (2005-01-01). Prolegomena on Metre and Textual History of the R̥gveda: Metrische und Textgeschichtliche Prolegomena, Berlin, 1888. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN978-81-208-0986-4.
Steiner, Roland. "Die Lehre der Anuṣṭubh bei den indischen Metrikern." Suhṛllekāḥ, Festgabe für Helmut Eimer. (Indica et Tibetica 28). Eds. Hahn, Michael & Jens-Uwe Hartmann. Swisttal-Odendorf (1996), 227-248.
anuṣṭubh, sanskrit, अन, ɐnʊˈʂʈʊp, meter, metrical, unit, found, both, vedic, classical, sanskrit, poetry, with, significant, differences, origin, anuṣṭubh, stanza, quatrain, four, lines, each, line, called, pāda, foot, eight, syllables, contents, vedic, texts,. Anuṣṭubh Sanskrit अन ष ट भ IPA ɐnʊˈʂʈʊp is a meter and a metrical unit found in both Vedic and Classical Sanskrit poetry but with significant differences By origin an anuṣṭubh stanza is a quatrain of four lines Each line called a pada lit foot has eight syllables Contents 1 In Vedic texts 2 In Classical Sanskrit the sloka 3 Notes 4 Bibliography 5 See alsoIn Vedic texts EditArnold distinguishes three varieties of anuṣṭubh in the Vedic corpus an early free form with very few restrictions except a general iambic u u x tendency in the cadence vṛtta of each of the four padas e g a yas te sar pirasute u u agne sam as ti dha yase u u aiṣu dyumnam uta sravah u u u u a cittam mar tieṣu dhah u u 1 Next came a mildly trochaic development in the opening of each pada and finally the development of the epic anuṣṭubh mostly in the Atharvaveda prefiguring the classical sloka form Although in these hymns the iambic cadence of the first verse is still the most frequent 25 of all varieties it is already very nearly equalled 23 by the normal and characteristic cadence of the first verse in the epic anuṣṭhubh sloka where the iambic cadence in the first verse has entirely disappeared In Classical Sanskrit the sloka Edit In classical Sanskrit the anuṣṭubh developed into its specific epic form known as sloka as described above which may be considered the Indian verse par excellence occurring as it does far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry 2 By the 5th century CE in the poetry of Kalidasa the sloka had the restricted form shown in the table above Each half verse of 16 syllables can take either a pathya normal form or one of several vipula extended forms The pathya and vipula half verses are arranged in the table above in order of frequency of occurrence The most common is the pathya Out of 2579 half verses taken from Kalidasa Bharavi Magha and Bilhana each of the four admissible forms of shloka in this order claims the following share 2289 116 89 85 3 that is 89 of the half verses have the regular pathya form In earlier epic such as the Mahabharata a fourth vipula is found namely x x x u x Two rules that apply in every sloka are 1 In both padas in syllables 2 3 u u is not allowed 2 In the second pada in syllables 2 4 u is not allowed Notes Edit Macdonell 1916 p 438 Macdonell 1927 p 232 Macdonell 1927 p 233 Bibliography EditArnold E V Vedic metre in its historical development Cambridge University Press 1905 Hopkins E W The Great Epic of India C Scribner s Sons New York 1901 MacDonald Anne Revisiting the Mulamadhyamakakarika Text Critical Proposals and Problems Indotetsugaku Bukkyōgaku Kenkyu 14 2007 25 55 Macdonell Arthur A 1927 A Sanskrit Grammar for Students Oxford University Press 3rd edition 1927 Appendix II Macdonell Arthur A 1916 A Vedic Grammar for Students Appendix II p 438 Oxford University Press 1916 Oldenberg Hermann 2005 01 01 Prolegomena on Metre and Textual History of the R gveda Metrische und Textgeschichtliche Prolegomena Berlin 1888 Motilal Banarsidass Publishe ISBN 978 81 208 0986 4 Steiner Roland Die Lehre der Anuṣṭubh bei den indischen Metrikern Suhṛllekaḥ Festgabe fur Helmut Eimer Indica et Tibetica 28 Eds Hahn Michael amp Jens Uwe Hartmann Swisttal Odendorf 1996 227 248 See also EditVedic meter Sanskrit prosody Shloka Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anuṣṭubh amp oldid 1111409253, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
