2.1. Use of Sragdharā metre

[Full title: The Chandas employed in Mudrārākṣasa (1). Sragdharā]

Chandomañjarī of Gaṅgādāsa has defined the meter Sragdharā as:

mrabhnairyānāṃ trayeṇa trimuniyatiyutā sragdharā kīrtiteyaṃ/^[1]

When each foot of a verse comprise of the seven gaṇas, viz ma, ra, bha, na, ya, ya and ya; and the pause occurs after every seven syllables, then the meter there is Sragdharā.

Thus it can be seen that every quarter of this meter has got 21 syllables. Viśākhadatta has used this chandas not less than 24 times. In Mudrārākṣasa there are two nāndī verses, and both are crafted of Sragdharā meter. It is worth mentioning here that Kālidāsa also used this meter in the nāndī verse of his eternal drama Abhijñānaśakuntalaṃ.

Let us scan the first nāndī verse of Mudrārākṣasa in the following:

ma	|	ra	|	bha	|	ma	|	ya	|	ya
- - ⏑	|	- ⏑ -	|	- ⏑ ⏑	|	⏑ ⏑ ⏑	|	⏑ - -	|	⏑ - -	|

dhanyā ke| yaṃ sthitā| te║śira | si śaśi |kalā ║ kiṃ| nu nāmai |tadasyā║
nāmaivā |syāstade |tat║pari | citama |pi te ║ vi |smṛtaṃ ka |sya hetoḥ║|
nārīṃ pṛ|cchāmi ne |nduṃ║ katha | yatu vi |jayā ║ na | pramāṇaṃ | yadīndu-║
rdevyā ni|hnotumi |ccho║riti | surasa |ritaṃ║śā |ṭhyamavyā |dvibhorvaḥ║||

After scanning this verse we can find that there are the gaṇas, viz, ma, ra, bha, na, ya, ya and ya. Therefore it is an instance of Sragdharā meter for sure. Kṣemendra says in his Suvṛttatilaka that Sragdharā meter should be used in case of the description of speedy movement of wind, i.e. storm etc.^[2]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chandomañjarī, p.155

[2]:

sāvegapavanādīnāṃ varṇane sragdharā matā// Suvṛttatilaka, III.22