110
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
long it is technically called “Śiva,” if short
“Akshara (from the word for a letter) Writta.” is determined by the number of letters in each line (pada) of the verse, and may consist of any
“Vishnu.”
Those letters are long which have the long vowels, such as d, e, iſ, which are followed by (:) aha or () sonné, and letters though short them selyes which precede a double letter; for instance
number of letters from 1 to 26.
Each different number of letters in the line
is known by its own particular name or “chhan dassu.”
Thus we have in all 26 chhandassus.
- —there the 8 is short in itself, but from
Each chhandassu again may be subdivided
its preceding the double t it becomes length
into any number of vrittas, increasing in number as the letters do. The number of vrittas of which any given chhandassu can consist is found by beginning with one and doubling successively for as many times as there happen to be letters in the line. Twice this result gives the mumber. For example, if the first line consists of three
ened.
It will thus be seen that the three letters
which form the gana may be all three long, all three short, or a combination of long and short. Each of these combinations—8 in all—has its
own particular name and is sacred to its own particular god. 1. (Ma) gana, sacred to the earth, is three long, — — 2. (Ya) gana—(water) is one short, two
letters, then we can have in that chhandassu
8 vrittas, i.e. 1 doubled is 2; twice 2 are 4; twice the result 8.
[APRIL, 1873.
That line which is long, v — —
called Mahāsragdhara has twenty-two let ters. By the foregoing rule, this chhandassu can be subdivided into 40,94,304 vrittas; only two however are in common use. This will give some idea of the enormous number of vrittas which could be formed.
3. (Ra) gana—(fire) is — ‘’— 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
The total number is
said to be some millions.
Lagana—(wind) is “ ” — Tagana—(sky) is — — v. Jagana—(sun) is v — v. Bagana—(moon) is — v. v. Nagana (heaven) v v v.
The order in
which
these
ganas
find a
Before examining any chandassu, however the “gana” must be explained. Every three letters form a gana, so that in a line of 9 letters we have 3 ganas; in a line of 10 letters we have 3 ganas and one
place in the line determines the vritta to which that piece of poetry belongs. In each writta the ganas follow one another in their own proper order. Each verse consists of four
letter ; in a line of 12 letters we have four
ing three lines be. No difference can be allowed. Take an example from the Mahāsragdara Writta”:-
lines. As is the first line, so must all the remain
ganas, and so on. The surplus letters are always at the end of the line, and if it happens to be 1.
1st exºso
5
v. v.- : - -
3rd £33-? 4.
4th
5 v
sº
4 v v -
IV.
-
8 J.
v
rºot
- -
|| v
8 v
v v
-
coös
&cºast,
saxº,
Kºs
5
5
8
v v -
5
5
8
-
v
4.
4.
zo
3 –
-
–
ºctogol:32 cocº tºe
3 -
v
3 -
ecoso | scº
tºo? tº ce.é, oexcºco Koe: tºo 4
3
4.
v v
Wii.
- 3. 3.4333, 3=33
4.
v v. v.
Exe525 5
5 -
— —
WI.
W.
cºcº d.º.º.o.885 º:
4
2nd e-doš
III.
II.
3
-
v
-
lººse
-
vº
3
- 3.2
3
3
Here we have 22 consonants in all, divided
or (4). The II. and III. are two long and one
into 7 ganas and one letter which being long is
short letter. This is the Tagana or (5). The
“Śiva.” The figures above the lines refer to
IV. is three short letters. This is the Nagana
the position in the line of each gana; those below the line to the kinds of gana. In each
(8). The VI, and VII. are a long, a short, and a long letter. This is the Ragana (3). The
line it will be seen that I. and V. consist of
last letter being long is Siva.
two short and one long letter. This is the Lagana
In order to belong to any particular writta