ANUSHTUP METER IN Sanskrit poetry

The most common meter  in scriptural literature is the anushtup meter which has eight syllables in each of the four quarters :

L denotes long syllable (‘guru’ in Sanskrit);
S denotes short syllable (‘laghu’ in Sanskrit)

Short syllables:
1. Normally, all short vowels – a, i, u, ṛ, ḷ.
Long syllables:
2. All long vowels – ā, ī, ū, ṝ.
3. Any short vowel followed by the anusvāra (ṁ).
4. Any short vowel followed by the visarga (ḥ).
5. Any short vowel followed by a double consonant.
(The exceptions to this rule are the double
consonants pr, br, kr and those starting with h. In
these four cases, the preceding short vowel can
optionally remain short.)

6. Optionally, any short vowel at the end of a pāda

 

SYLLABLES

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

First quarter

-

-

-

-

S

L

-

-

Second quarter

-

-

-

-

S

L

S

-

Third Quarter

-

-

-

-

S

L

-

--

Fourth Quarter

-

-

-

-

S

L

S

-

 

The formula is :

pancamaM laghu sarvatra saptamaM dvicaturthayoH /
shhashhTam guru vijAnIyAt etat shlokasya lakshanam //

Broken into syllables (aksharas) this becomes:

Pan-ca-maM-la-ghu-sar-va-tra  sap-ta-maM-dvi-ca-tur-tha-yoH /
Shhashh-TaM-gu-ru-vi-jA-nI-yAt  e-tat-shlo-kas-ya-lak-sha-Nam //

Further examples:

Gu-rur-brah-mA-gu-rur-vishh-NuH  gu-rur-de-vo-ma-hesh-va-raH /
Gu-rus-sAk-shAt-pa-raM-brah-ma  tas-mai-shrI-gu-ra-ve-na-maH //

ShrI-rA-ma-rA-ma-rA-me-ti ra-me-rA-me-ma-no-ra-me /
Sa-has-ra-nA-ma-tat-tul-yaM  rA-ma-nA-ma-va-rA-na-ne //

/

 

 

OTHER COMMON METERS


No. of syllables in each quarter

Triad sequence

Name of the meter

(vRRittaM)

Examples

11

SLS / LLS /SLS /LL

Upendra-vajrA

1.Namah-shivAbhyAM nava-yauvanAbhyAM
2.manojavaM mAruta tulyavegaM

(ma-no-ja-/vaM-mA-ru-/ta-tul-ya-/ve-gaM)

3. avaimi cainAM anagheti kim tu

4.namostu rAmAya salakshmaNAya

 

LLS/LLS/SLS/LL

ta-ta-ja-gu,gu

Indra-vajrA
  1. astyuttarasyAM dishi devatAtmA
  2. shri vaidyanAthAya namaH shivAya
  3. vAsAmsi jIrNAni yathA vihAya
  4. syAdindravajrA tatajAstatogau

 

LSL/SSS/LSL/SL

RathoddhatA
  1. yatra yatra raghunAtha-kIrtanaM

 

LLL/LLS/LLS/LL 

ShAlinI 

1.ekodevah keshavo vA shivo vA

2. rUpaM yattat-prAhuravyaktam-AdyaM

 

 

 

 

12

SLL/SLL/SLL/SLL

ya-ya-ya-ya

BhujangaprayAta
  1. kumAreshasUno guha-skanda-senA
  2. sadA rAma rAmeti rAmAmRtaM te
  3. bhujangaprayAtashcaturbhir-yakAraiH

 

SSS/LSS/LSS/LSL

Druta-vilambita
  1. vara-parAshara-gotra-samudbhavaM
  2. nigamakalpa-tarorgalitaM phalaM

 

 

 

 

 

SLS/LLS/SLS/LSL

Vamshastha
  1. tvameva tAvatparicintaya svayaM

13 

SLL/LLL/LSL/LSL/L 

ChandriNI 

1.suvarNaprAkAre'shAnyadigbhittibhAge 

 

 

 

 

14

LLS/LSS/SLS/SLS/LL

ta-bha-ja-ja-gu,gu

Vasanta-tilaka
  1. tvaM nityamukta-parishuddha vibuddha AtmA
  2. mAtA mameti nagarAja sutorupIThaM
  3. jneyaM vasantatilakaM ta-bha-jA jagau gaH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

LLL/LSS/SSS/LLS/LLS/LL

MandAkrAntA
  1. kascit kAntA virahaguruNA svAdhikArAt pramattaH
  2. shAntAkAraM bhujagashayanaM padmanAbhaM sureshaM

 


SLL/LLL/SSS/SSL/LSS/SL 

ShikhariNI 

1. shivaH shaktyAyukto yadi bhavati shaktaH prabhavituM 

 

 

 

 

19

LLL/SSL/SLS/SSL/LLS/LLS/L

ShArdUla-vikrIditaM
  1. yAkundendu tushArahA davaLA yA shubra-vastrAvRtA
  2. vishvaM darpaNa dRshyamAna-nagarI tulyaM nijAntargataM

 

 

 

 

21

LLL/LSL/LSS/SSS/SLL/SLL/SLL

Sragdhara
  1. kshirodanvatpradeshe suchimaNivilasatsaikatair-mauktikAnAM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Ya-Maa-taa-raa-ja-bhA-na-sa-la-gA