The Agni Purana
by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596
This page describes Metres having equal characteristics in the alternate quarters (ardhasama) which is chapter 333 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 333 - Metres having equal characteristics in the alternate quarters (ardhasama)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
[Note: This chapter corresponds to Piṅgala 5.32-45]
Fire-god said:
1. The metre Upacitraka (consists of) three sas, la, and two gas (in the first quarter), three bhas and two gas (in the second) (and the third and the fourth like the first and second). Drutamadhyā is said to have three bhas and two gas (in the first quarter), na, two jas and ya (in the second quarter) (and the third and fourth like the first and second quarters).
2. Vegavatī has three sas and ga (in the first quarter), three bhas and two gas (in the second). Bhadravirāṭ has ta, jas, ra and gas (in the first quarter), and ma, sa, ja and two gas (in the second quarter).
3. (When the first quarter) has sa, ja, sa and ga and (the second quarter) has bha, ra, na and two gas it is Ketumatī, Ākhyānikī has two tas, ja and two gas (in the first quarter) and ja, ta, ja and two gas (in the second quarter).
4. Viparītākhyānikī has ja, ta, ja and two gas (in the first quarter) and ta, ta, ja and two gas (in the second quarter). Hariṇaplutā[1] has three sas, la and ga (in the first quarter), na, bha, bha and ra (in the second quarter).
5-6. Aparavaktra[2] consists of two nas, ra, la and ga (in the first quarter) and na, ja, ja and ra (in the second quarter). (Puṣpitāgrā[3] has two nas, ra and ya (in the first quarter) and na, ja, ja, ra andga (in the second quarter). Yavamatī[4] has ra, ja, ra and ja (in the first quarter) and ja, ra, ja and ra (in the second quarter). Śikhā consists of twenty-eight (short letters) and a long syllable at the end (in the first quarter) and thirty letters and a long syllable at the end in the second quarter. (The third and fourth quarters are also similar.) (The metre) Khañja has got the characteristics reversed. Metres of similar characteristics (in the four quarters) are described now.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
The Purāṇa wrongly gives Hariṇavallabhā.
[2]:
The Purāṇa reads Aparākramam [Aparākrama].
[3]:
The Purāṇa reads Puṣpitā.
[4]:
The Purāṇa reads Panamatī.