Part 1 - Use of Chandas (metres) in the Matsyapurāṇa

Any literary piece in verse form possess three most necessary elements of poetry, viz., chandas, alaṃkāra and rasa which are regarded as the unavoidable ingredients for making a poetical work worthy to its meaning. Of these chandas or metre takes the foremost position in a literary composition which is written in verses. The hymns of the Vedas are the oldest form of Sanskrit literature in verses which exhibit the application of various metres. The Brāhmaṇas and the Upaniṣads too are composed in metres of different kinds. After the period of Vedic literature, the classical literature starting from the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata, and the Purāṇas to the Dharmaśāstras, the Arthaśāstras and every other work, written in verse form, reveal the brilliant use of different metres in their own way. Among these, the Purāṇas were composed for general people and therefore, the importance was given to simple and natural descriptions of the popular tales. Hence, with a view to make the narrations easy and lucid as well as easily memorable, Purāṇas were composed in verse form with the use of various metres.

After minute observation on the application of various metres in the Purāṇas, Adam Hohemberger says,

“a closer examination of the different works leads us to the astonishing conclusion that, with regard to the number of metres employed, the Purāṇas do not lag behind the many famous classical poems.”^[1]

The term chandas is derived from the root chad which means giving pleasure or delight or cover.^[2] A poem constructed in metrical form is accessible to readers and because of the rhythm of the metre, it is able to give pleasure to the reader effortlessly. A common tendency of human nature is that a poem read in the early childhood can easily be recited even in the old age, but at the same time, a prose passage read either in the childhood or afterwards is hard to remember word by word or line by line no matter how one tries to remember it. So, a poem and that is also in rhythmic tune can earn wide range of popularity among the connoisseurs.

For correct recitation of Vedic mantras, the knowledge of metre is necessary. It is said that if one utters or teaches a Vedic verse without knowing the seer, the presiding deity, applied metre and its application then great calamity will fall upon the speaker.^[3] The science of metre forms one of the six part of Vedāṅgas and is always referred to as the feet of the Vedapuruṣa.^[4] The Nirukta has also used the expression chandāṃsi chādanāt to show the importance of metre for correct recitation of Vedic verses.^[5]

The Ṛgveda, being the earliest Vedic work can be accepted as the first document showing the application of metre in it. Different Vedic metres are used in the hymns of the Ṛgveda as well as in later Vedic works.

There are primarily seven principal metres in Vedic literature viz.,

1. Gāyatrī,
2. Uṣṇik,
3. Anuṣṭup,
4. Bṛhatī,
5. Paṅkti,
6. Triṣṭup and
7. Jagatī.

These seven Vedic metres are established in the Yajurveda^[6] and also in the Atharvaveda.^[7] The Ṛkprātiśākhya has delineated on these metres.^[8] This book also deals with various other metres. Three entire chapters are dedicated to the discussion of Vedic metres with their varieties and sub-varieties. These Vedic metres can be said to be the source for the origination of classical metres of Sanskrit literature with transformation in time to time. The first metrical composition in classical Sanskrit is regarded as the Rāmāyaṇa the authorship of which is attributed to Vālmīki. After seeing the love-lorn condition of a paired bird, the seed of the pathetic emotion sprouted in the heart of Vālmīki as a result of which a beautiful couplet^[9] came out from his lips.^[10]

With the new form of metre called Śloka, the classical metres began to flourish with their own style and form. Most of the classical metres are formed with specific gaṇa i.e., group of syllables either by short syllables or long syllables or with both short and long syllables.

There are eight gaṇas as enumerated by the Prosody writers and they are:

1. ma-gaṇa,
2. na-gaṇa,
3. bha-gaṇa,
4. ya-gaṇa,
5. ja-gaṇa,
6. ra-gaṇa,
7. sa-gaṇa and
8. ta-gaṇa.^[11]

The ma-gaṇa consists of three long syllables and na-gaṇa consists of three short syllables. The first syllable of bha-gaṇa is long and other two are short. On the other hand, the first syllable of ya-gaṇa is short and the other two are long. The middle syllable is long and other two are short in ja-gaṇa whereas in ra-gaṇa the middle one is short and other two are long. The last syllable of sa-gaṇa is long and other two are short whereas in ta-gaṇa the last syllable is short and other two are long. Besides these there are two one syllabic gaṇas as ga-gaṇa and la-gaṇa in which the first indicates one long sound and the latter stands for one short sound.^[12]

The Matsyapurāṇa is a poetical composition having verses only. A variety of metres has been used in it. This Purāṇa has contained near about 14,000 verses. Most of the verses of the Matsyapurāṇa are eight syllabic i.e., aṣṭākṣarā and Anuṣṭup is the main metre of this Purāṇa. Anuṣṭup is a Vedic metre having altogether thirty-two syllables in its four pādas divided equally into eight syllables in each of the four feet. This metre is also known as Śloka, Vaktra etc. Different prosody writers have defined Anuṣṭup or Śloka, the meanings of which are almost the same. According to them, in this metre, the 6^th syllable is long and the 5^th syllable is short in all the four quarters whereas the 7^th syllable is short in the second and fourth quarter and it is long in the first and third quarter. ¹³

The scholars of Prosody again opine that verses with eight syllables in each of the four feet are to be identified as Anuṣṭup only. According to Kṣemendra, as Anuṣṭup has many varieties and sub-varieties, it cannot be restricted by the placement of any particular gaṇa or syllable, short or long. That is why the only criterion should be the possession of eight syllables in each pāda which have smooth sounding quality inherent in it.^[13] In the Agnipurāṇa it is said that Anuṣṭup metre is formed with eight syllables. It has four pādas, though there are three pādas sometimes.¹⁵ Therefore, all the verses of the Matsyapurāṇa which have eight syllables in each of the four feet should be considered as having Anuṣṭup metre.

The author of the Matsyapurāṇa, like other authors of similar works, prefers this metre for his composition because of its simple structure and consumption of less labour as compared to others. For example the very first verse of the Matsyapurāṇa is eight syllabic which has altogether 32 syllables:

pracaṇḍatāṇḍavāṭope prakṣiptā yena diggajā/
bhavantu vighnabhaṅgāya bhavasya caraṇāmbujāḥ// ^[14]

In this verse, the 6^th syllable is long and the 5^th syllable is short in all the four quarters. The 7^th syllable is short in the 2^nd and 4^th quarter and it is long in the first and third quarter. So, from every aspect the rule of Anuṣṭup is employed in this verse.

After Anuṣṭup the most used metre in the Matsyapurāṇa is Upajāti. Generally the mixture of Indravajrā and the Upendravajrā metres is called Upajāti. But writers invariably agree with the fact that mixer of other metres also constitute Upajāti. ^[15] Almost 450 verses are composed with this metre.

The metre Vasantatilaka takes the third place for its application in the verses of the Matsyapurāṇa. There are fourteen syllables here. In this metre, one ta-gaṇa, one bha-gaṇa, two ja- gaṇas and two long syllables are employed.^[16] Almost 47 verses are composed in this metre.^[17]

An example of this metre is:

ānandadā sakaladuḥkhaharāṃ tṛtīyāṃ yā strī karotyavidhavā’vidhavātha vāpi/
sā sve gṛhe sukhaśatānyanubhūya bhūyā gaurīpadaṃ sadayitā dayitā prayāti// ^[18]

In this verse, one ta-gaṇa, one bha-gaṇa, two ja- gaṇas and two long syllables are found in each of the four quarters. So it is an ideal example of Vasantatilaka.

The metre named Vaṃśasthavila has occupied the next place as it is used in 34 verses of the Matsyapurāṇa.^[19] This is a twelve syllabic metre. When there are one ja-gaṇa, one ta-gaṇa, one ja-gaṇa and one ra-gaṇa in each of the four quarters of a verse then it is an example of Vaṃśasthavila metre.^[20]

An example of Vaṃśasthavila from Matsyapurāṇa is:

niśamya taddurgavidhānamuttama kṛtaṃ mayenādbhutavīryakarmaṇā/
diteḥsutā daivatarājavairiṇaḥ sahasraśaḥ prāpuranantavikramāḥ// ^[21]

Here one ja-gaṇa, one ta-gaṇa, one ja-gaṇa and one ra-gaṇa are found in each of the four quarters and thus this verse is said to be composed in Vaṃśasthavila.

Rucirā metre has thirteen syllables with one ja-gaṇa, one bha-gaṇa, one sa-gaṇa, one ja-gaṇa and one long syllable in all the four pādas.^[22] In the Matsyapurāṇa there are 23 verses where this metre has been employed.^[23]

An example is:

tato haro himagirikandarākṛtim samunnataṃ mṛdugatibhiḥ pracodayan/
mahāvṛṣaṅgaṇatumulāhitekṣaṇaṃ sa bhūdhrānaśaniriva prakampayan// ^[24]

Here, in this verse one ja-gaṇa, one bha-gaṇa, one sa-gaṇa, one ja-gaṇa and one long syllable are present in all the four pādas. Hence it is a clear example of Rucirā.

Sragvinī metre has in all twelve syllables. When four ra-gaṇas are present in all the four quarters of a verse then it is a case of Sragvinī.^[25] Sragvinī is used in 22 verses of this Purāṇa.^[26]

In the Matsyapurāṇa there are total 18 verses where Puṣpitāgrā metre has been employed.^[27] When two na- gaṇas, one ra-gaṇa and one ya-gaṇa are found in odd quarters and one na-gaṇa, two ja- gaṇas, one ra-gaṇa and one long syllable are available in even quarters then it is called Puṣpitāgrā.^[28]

An example of this metre is as follows:

iti pathati śṛṇotivāthabhaktyāvidhimakhilaṃ ravisaṃkramasya puṇyam/
matimapi ca dadāti so’pi devairamarapaterbhavane prapūjyate ca// ^[29]

In this verse, there is two na- gaṇas, one ra-gaṇa and one ya-gaṇa in 1^st and 3^rd quarters and in 2^nd and 4^th quarters there are one na-gaṇa, two ja- gaṇas, one ra-gaṇa and one long syllable. Therefore, this verse can be said to be composed in Puṣpitāgrā metre.

Mālinī is applied in 13 verses of this composition.^[30] According to the writers of Prosody, when two na-gaṇas, one ma-gaṇa and two ya-gaṇas are found to be present in all the four pādas of a verse then it is called a case of Mālinī.^[31]

For example:

niviḍaniculanīlaṃ nīlakaṇṭhābhirāmaṃ madamuditavihaṅgavrātanādābhirāmam/
kusumitataruśākhālīnamattadvirephaṃ navakiśalayaśobhāśobhitaprāntaśākham// ^[32]

This verse has two na-gaṇas, one ma-gaṇa and two ya-gaṇas in each of its four quarters and thus fulfilling the condition of Mālinī metre.

Besides these metres, the names of other metres used more or less are:

1. Bhramaravilasita,
2. Toṭaka,
3. Dodhaka,
4. Rathoddhatā,
5. Śālinī,
6. Bhujaṅgaprayāta,
7. Drutavilaṃbita [Drutavilambita],
8. Sragviṇī,
9. Praharṣiṇī,
10. Pañcacāmara,
11. Pṛthvī,
12. Sragdharā,
13. Aparavaktra and
14. Āryā.^[33]

In the Matsyapurāṇa, it is seen that the author has not always completely followed the rules of Prosody. Some verses have followed the strict rules of a particular metre but there are other verses which do not follow the norm of that specific metre. Among the four feet of such verses if some quarters maintain the norm, there are, at the same time, some quarters from the same verse do not follow the standard rule. In this way, the verses of Matsyapurāṇa have exhibited a wide range of peculiarities.

For example in the following verse, it appears that Vasantatilaka metre has been applied.

kasmādvibhūtiramalāmaramartyāpūjyā jātā ca sā vijitāmarasundarīṇām/
bhāryā mamālpatapasā paritoṣitena dattaṃ mamāmbujagṛhañca munīndra! dhātrā// ^[34]

But in this verse, the 2^nd quarter bears only 13 syllables instead of 14 which makes it faulty in fulfilling the norms of Vasantatilaka metre. A faulty Vasantatilaka is also seen in another verse where one more syllable is added.^[35] The 3^rd quarter has 15 syllables which ultimately results in the partial fulfillment of this metre in the said verse.

Again in the verse

athānyāni cāpāni tasmin saroṣā raṇe lokapālā gṛhītvā samantāt/
śarairakṣayairdānavendraṃ tatakṣudānavo’marṣasaṃraktanetraḥ// ^[36]

The norm of Bhujaṅgaprayāta metre is not applied completely, as the last syllable of the third pāda is irregularly short. The Bhujaṅgaprayāta metre consists of four ya-gaṇas.^[37]

The following verse is in Vaṃśasthavila metre with a flaw where the last syllable of the first foot is irregularly short instead of long:

sa tārakākhyastaḍimālireva ca mayena sārdhaṃ pramathairabhidrutā/
puraṃ parāvṛtyanute śarārditā yathā śarīraṃ pavanodaye gatā// ^[38]

In the verse:

iti pathati śṛṇoti yaḥ prasaṅgāt/ kalikaluṣavimuktaḥ pārvatī lokameti/
matimapi ca narāṇāṃ yo dadāti priyārtham/ vibudhapativimāne nāyakaḥ syādamoghaḥ// ^[39]

It appears that the metre Mālinī is employed, but the 1^st foot possess 12 syllables instead of 15 and thus cannot be said to be a correct form of metre Mālinī.

Another verse is

iti danutanayānmayastathokvā suragaṇavāraṇavāraṇe vacāṃsi/
yuvatiganaviṣaṇṇā mānasaṃ tat tripurapuraṃ sahasā viveśa rājā// ^[40]

This verse is in Puṣpitāgrā metre with a defect in the 3^rd foot where a syllable is irregularly long instead of short and thus, cannot form the metre. Like the above mentioned verses there are a lot of verses which have some kind of faults in their quarters and in this way they are faulty in forming a particular metre. In this connection it is to be mentioned that as the Purāṇas have many editions, the readings of the verses vary from one to another. Likewise, the Matsyapurāṇa is available in various manuscripts which more or less have different readings within themselves. Hence, these faults in metre may not be always the faults of the authors.

Another peculiarity which can frequently be seen in the verses of the Matsyapurāṇa is that a good number of verses are composed with three feet only, whereas the general criterion of a verse is that it should contain four feet i.e., pādas.^[41]

As for example

nārī vā kurute yā tu kumārī vā varānane/
vidhavā yā tathā nārī sāpi tat phalamāpnuyāt/
saubhāgyarogyasaṃpannā gaurī loke mahīyate// ^[42]

Another instance of the same kind is

sarvakāmapradātāraḥ kecid vṛkṣā manoramāḥ/
apare kṣīriṇo nāma vṛkṣāstatra manoramāḥ/
ye rakṣanti sadā kṣīraṃ ṣaṭpañcāmṛtopamam// ^[43]

In this way it is seen that the use of metres in Matsyapurāṇa has some unique characters.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Adam Hohemberger, ‘Metres of Classical Poetry in the Purāṇas,’ Purāṇa, Volume XI, No 1, p.11

[2]:

Vaman Shivram Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 212

[3]:

aviditvā ṛṣicchandodaivataṃ yogameva ca/ yo’dhyāpayejjapedvāpi pāpīyān jāyate tu saḥ// Bṛhaddevatā, VIII.132

[4]:

chandaḥ pādau tu vedasya/ Pāṇinīyaśikṣā, 41,42

[5]:

Nirukta, I.1.1

[6]:

gāyatrī triṣṭubjagatyanuṣṭuppaṅktyā saha/ bṛhatyuṣṇihā kakupsūcībhiḥ śamyantu tvā// Śuklayajurveda, XXIII.33

[7]:

gāyatrīṃ triṣṭubhaṃ jagatīmanuṣṭubhaṃ bṛhadarkīṃ yajamānāya svarābharantīm// Atharvaveda, VIII.9.14; sapta cchandāṃsi caturuttarāṇyanyo anyasminnadhyāpitāni/ Ibid., VIII.9.19

[8]:

gāyatryuṣṇiganuṣṭupca bṛhatī ca prajāpateḥ/ paṅktitriṣṭubjagatī ca saptacchandāṃsi tāni ha// Ṛkprātiśākhya, XVI.1

[9]:

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṃ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatī samāḥ/ yatkrauñcamithunādekamavadhīḥ kāmamohitam// Rāmāyaṇa, I.2.1

[10]:

Cf.,….cādikaveḥ purā/ krauñcadvandvaviyogotthaḥ śokaḥ ślokatvamāgataḥ// Dhvanyāloka, I.5

[11]:

mastrigurustrilaghuśca nakāro bhādiguruḥ punarādilaghuryaḥ/ jo gurumadhyagato ralamadhyaḥ so’ntaguruḥ kathito’ntalaghustaḥ// Chandomañjarī, I.8

[12]:

gurureko gakārastu lakāro laghurekakaḥ/ Ibid., I.9¹³ śloke ṣaṣṭhaṃ guru jñeyaṃ sarvatra laghu pañcamam/ dvicatuṣpādayorhrasvaṃ saptamaṃ dīrghamanyayoḥ// Śrutobodha, II.4; pañcamaṃ laghu sarveṣu saptamaṃ dvicaturthayoḥ/ guru ṣaṣṭhaṃ ca sarveṣāmetacchlokasya lakṣaṇam// Suvṛttatilaka, I.14; sarvvatra pañcamo hrasvo guruḥ ṣaṣṭho dvituryyayoḥ/ yatrāṅghryoḥ saptamo hrasvaḥ sa śloko gururanyayoḥ// Vṛttamañjarī, V.2

[13]:

asaṃkhyo bhedasaṃsargādanuṣṭupchandasāṃ gaṇaḥ/ tatra lakṣyānusāreṇa śravyatāyāḥ pradhānatā// Suvṛttatilaka, I.15 ¹⁵ sāṣṭākṣarairanuṣṭupsyāccatuṣpācca tripātkvacit// Agnipurāṇa, 330.7

[14]:

Matsyapurāṇa, I.1

[15]:

anantarodīritalakṣmabhājau pādau yadṣyāvupajātayastāḥ / itthaṃ kilānyāsvapi miśritāsu vadanti jātiṣvidameva nāma// Chandomañjarī, II.3, p.38

[16]:

jñeyaṃ vasantatilakaṃ tabhajā jagau gaḥ// Ibid., II.2, p.73

[17]:

Cf., 64.28; 83.21,22,23,24,25,26,27; 96.14,25; 100.8,9; 116.25; 138.46,47; 33,34,39,40,41,78,79; 255.24; 257.22,23; 270.35,36; 274.77,78; 276.17,18; 277.22; 11,12,13; 280.15; 281.15; 282.13,14,15; 283.17,18,19; 287.12,13; 288.15,16

[18]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 64.28

[19]:

Cf., 126.41; 130.27,28; 133.67,70,72; 136.66,67,68; 138.57; 140.43; 148.100, 101,102; 151,152,153,154; 154.397,398,399,400,401,402,403; 162.36; 24,25,26,27,29,30,32; 251.26

[20]:

vadati vaṃśasthavilaṃ jatau jarau// Chandomañjarī, II.2, p.49

[21]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 130.21

[22]:

jabhau sajau giti rucirā caturgrahaiḥ// Chandomañjarī, II.2, p.64

[23]:

Cf.,118.77; 153.28; 154.452,453,454,455,456,457,458,460,461,462,463,465, 466,467,468; 54; 251.27,29,31,33,34

[24]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 154.452

[25]:

kīrtitaiṣā catūrephikā sragviṇī// Chandomañjarī, II.7, p.53

[26]:

Cf.,154.554,555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,563,564,565,566,567, 569,570,571,572,573,574,575

[27]:

Cf., 54.31; 55.33, 60.49; 61.57; 62.39; 98.15; 100.37; 115.19; 134.33; 136.64; 137.31,33; 89; 276.19; 281.14; 285.21,23; 286.16

[28]:

ayuji nayagarephato yakāro, yuji ca najau jaragāśca puṣpitāgrā// Chandomañjarī, III.5, p.145

[29]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 98.15

[30]:

Cf., 63.29; 82.31; 93.161; 180.31,44; 275.28,29; 278.29; 280.14; 282.16; 284.21; 288.17; 17

[31]:

nanamayayayuteyaṃ mālinī bhogilokaiḥ/ Chandomañjarī, II.4

[32]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 180.31

[33]:

C.R.Swaminathan, ‘A Metrical Analysis of the Matsya Purāṇa,’ Purāṇa, Volume II, No. 1-2, pp. 243-244

[34]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 100.8

[35]:

Ibid., 100.10

[36]:

Ibid., 153.191

[37]:

bhujaṅgaprayāta caturbhi yakāraiḥ// Chandomañjarī, II.5, p.52

[38]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 136.67

[39]:

Ibid., 63.29

[40]:

Ibid., 134.31

[41]:

padyaṃ catuṣpadī/ Chandomañjarī, I.4, p.2

[42]:

Matsyapurāṇa, 63.28

[43]:

Ibid., 113.71