Āryā meter is a meter used in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Marathi verses. A verse in metre is in four metrical lines called pādas. Unlike the majority of meters employed in classical Sanskrit, the meter is based on the number of s (morae) per . A short syllable counts for one, and a long syllable (that is, one containing a long vowel, or a short vowel followed by two consonants) counts for two s. It is believed that meter was taken from the gāthā meter of Prakrit.[1] metre is common in Jain Prakrit texts and hence considered as favourite metre of early authors of Jainism. The earlier form of the metre is called old, which occurs in a some very early Prakrit and Pāli texts.[2]
The basic verse has 12, 18, 12 and 15 s in the first, second, third, and fourth pādas respectively. An example is the following from Kālidāsa's play Abhijñānaśākuntalam (c. 400 CE):
Sanskrit: आ परितोषाद्विदुषां न साधु मन्ये प्रयोगविज्ञानम् ।
Sanskrit: बलवदपि शिक्षितानामात्मन्यप्रत्ययं चेतः ॥ २ ॥
– u u | – – | u u –
u – u | – – | u – u | – – | –
u u u u | u – u | – –
– – | – – | u | – – | –
"I do not consider skill in the representation of plays to be good (perfect) until (it causes) the satisfaction of the learned (audience); the mind of even those who are very well instructed has no confidence in itself."
Another example is from Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita's Vairāgya-śataka (17th century CE):
Sanskrit: नीतिज्ञा नियतिज्ञा वेदज्ञा अपि भवन्ति शास्त्रज्ञाः ।
Sanskrit: ब्रह्मज्ञा अपि लभ्या स्वाज्ञानज्ञानिनो विरलाः ॥
– – | – u u | – –
– – | – u u | u – u | – – | –
– – | – u u | – –
– – | – – | u | – u u | –
"People who know morality, know the inner order of conduct, know the Vedas (sacred knowledge), know the Scriptures or know the Supreme Spirit Himself are plentiful; but rare are those who know about their own ignorance."
The metrical treatise lays down several other conditions:
The meter has 12, 18, 12 and 18 s in its four s respectively.
lists several other conditions.
The meter has 12, 15, 12 and 15 s in its four s respectively.
lists several other conditions.
The meter has 12, 15, 12 and 18 s in its four pādas respectively.
lists several other conditions.
The meter has 12, 20, 12 and 20 s in its four s respectively.
lists several other conditions.