The Agni Purana
by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596
This page describes abridgement of rules of prosody relating to the Vedic metres which is chapter 329 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.
Chapter 329 - An abridgement of rules of prosody relating to the Vedic metres
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
[Note: This chapter sums up second chapter of Piṅgala.]
Fire-god said:
1. The Gāyatrī and the Goddess are of equal (number of) letters in the section on metres. It would have fifteen letters. (The metre called) Prajāpati (consists of) eight letters.
2. (The metre) Gāyatrī (used) in the Yajurveda (consists of) six letters and that in the Sāmaveda would have twelve letters. It would have eighteen letters in the Ṛgveda, Two more letters are added in the Sāmaveda.
3. The fourth quarter in the Ṛgveda and all the quarters in the Prajāpati would get lengthened. There would be increase of one syllable each in the rest. The Āsurī would drop one (letter).
4. (The metres) Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭubh, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Triṣṭubh and Jagatī should be known as gradually (increasing). All these Gāyatrīs (are known as) Brahma.
5. If groups of three (of the above) are added each one would be the name (of the metres) of the Ṛgveda and Yajurveda. They should be written in a square of sixty-four chambers.