-
11]
KANARESE POETRY.
APRIL, 1873.]
it is not sufficient that the line have the same
subdivisions being determined by the number
number of ganas; it is absolutely necessary that the kinds of ganas should follow one another in the order special to that vritta. For in stance, in the Mahāsragdara Writta the order
of accents in the line.
In the “Manene Writta” we have the same number of consonants and ganas, but since the
The same rules which determine the length of the accent in the gana of the Akshara Writta apply to the consonants in the Mátra Writta, viz., consonants with long vowels, as ā, é, í ; those preceding a double letter; and those followed by sonné or aha, are long. All
kinds of ganas come in the following order:-
others are short.
must be, 4, 5, 5, 8, 4, 3, 3, Siva.
I.
II.
III.
I.W.
W.
WI.
WII.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7.
7,
The Mátra Writta is subdivided into three— Siva,
the vritta goes by another name.
“Kanda,” “Satpade,” and “Areya.” The Kanda consists of verses of four lines.
And so on through all the thousand and one The first and third lines have 12 accents, the
writtas.
Each has its own name and special second and fourth 20 accents.
As long as the
rule.
total number of accents in a line is correct, it is
One point requires special notice. It is com mon to both the great divisions “Akshara Writta” and “Mätra Writta,” and is the one essential in all Kanarese poetry. Without this, lines, however well written and correct in every other respect, would not be considered poetry by the Kanarese critic.
immaterial what the number of consonants are.
For example, take a verse of the Kanda:v v- v
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If the four lines of the vº
Kanarese verse given be examined, it will be
v
- v
-
v
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v - v
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seen that the second consonant in each is the v
same.
It is in this verse r. This is technically
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known as “A de Prasu.”
Whatever the second consonant of the first
line is, the second consonant of the succeeding lines constituting a verse must be the same. This is a sine quit non in Kanarese poetry. The difficulty of always finding a suitable word with the second consonant the same has
given rise to a poetical licence by which certain consonants are allowed to stand for one another.
In the first line we have eight short accents and two long (four short): total 12. In the third line we have six short and three long : total 12. In the second line we have eight short and six long : total 20. In the fourth line six short, seven long : total 20. A long accent, called “guru,” is equal to two short accents, called “lugu.” The proper num ber of accents in the lines is always expressed
This is called “Mitra Prasu,” and the following
by the number of short accents such line may consonants are held to be interchangeable :contain.
It will be observed that the second con
ka kha ga gha with one another. cha chha ja jha with one another.
and happens to be n.
ta
tha
da
dha
with one another.
to this letter are not the same in all four lines.
ta
tha
da
dha
with one another.
In the first line it is na, short ; in the fourth
pa pha ba bha with one another. Ša sha sa with one another.
ná, long ; in the second and third nu. The vowel only determines the length of the consonant, and has nothing to do with the great rule that the
ra
la
la
with one another.
Again in some verses we find the last conso nant is the same in every line of the verse. This is in Kanarese poetry called “Antya Prasu.” It is not essential, but those verses which have the Antya Prasu are, coeteris paribus, considered finer and more finished.
The Mátra Writta is the second great divi sion.
In it the number of accents, not conso
nants, in each line are looked to, the different
sonant in each line of the above verse is the same,
But the vowels attached
second consonant in each line must be the same.
The second subdivision of the Mátra Writta is
the Satpade or verse of six lines. The Satpade consists of six classes.
The number of accents
in each class varies.
1. The Sara Satpade must contain the fol. lowing number of accents in each line:– 1st–8, 2nd—8, 3rd–14, 4th–8, 5th–8, 6th —14.