2.9. Use of Mālinī metre

[Full title: The Chandas employed in Mudrārākṣasa (9). Mālinī]

nanamayayayuteyaṃ mālinī bhogilokaiḥ^[1]

In this way Mālinī meter has been defined in the Chandomañjarī of Gaṅgādāsa. It is stated here that where the gaṇas, namely, na, na, ma, ya and ya are found in a foot;and the pause come after the first eight (bhogi) syllables and then after seven syllables in a quarter then the meter there is Mālinī. Thus in this chandas there are 15 syllables in every pāda. This is a beautiful chandas specially being used in the end of the cantos of a Mahākāvya, appearing as a rapid rhythm towards the end of a song.^[2]

In Mudrārākṣasa this meter has been used in four places. They are III.15,25; VI.1 and VI.3. But it can be noted that in VI.3 only the second foot of the verse is decorated with Mālinīchandas.

Let us examine by scanning the first verse of Act-VI in the following:

ta	|	bha	|	ja	|	ja	|	ga	|	ga
- - ⏑	|	- ⏑ ⏑	|	⏑ - ⏑	|	⏑ - ⏑	|	-	|	-

jayati| jalada|nīlaḥ║ ke|śavaḥ ke|śighātī║
jayati| ca jana|dṛṣṭi║śca|ndramāśca|ndraguptaḥ║|
jayati | jayana|kāryaṃ║ yā|vat kṛtvā |ca sarvaṃ║
pratiha|tapara|pakṣā║ ā|ryacāṇa|kyanītiḥ║||

After scanning the verse, it has been proved that every foot of the verse is constituted with na, na, ma, ya and ya gaṇas making the verse an instance of Mālinī meter.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chandomañjarī, II.138, p.104

[2]:

kuryātsargasya paryante mālinīm drutatālavat/ Suvṛttatilaka, III.19