Sardulavikridita metrics

[Paul Kiparsky]

On May 17, 2009, at 7:44 PM, Arlo Griffiths wrote:

>
> It is also important to note that there seems to be a strong  
> tendency for placement of a ceasura after the fourth gaṇa.

Right, after the fourth foot, which here happens to coincide with a  
gaṇa.  The gaṇas of the trika system provide convenient mnemonics  
for the sequences of long and short syllables in a meter, but they  
are irrelevant to the rhythm of a line, to its foot structure, and to  
the placement of the caesura.  These things are however revealed by  
formal metrical analysis, and, remarkably, they are also observed in  
the traditional chanting pattern.

> The maṅgala in Śrīdhara's Karmapañjikā, whose critical edition  
> is currently being prepared by Dr. S. Sumant (Pune) and myself,  
> also presents an unexpected number of Śārdūlavikrīḍita pādas:  
> just two of them, whereafter the verse-form seems to become  
> something that is meant to be Sragdharā. I would be grateful  
> references to similarly (un)structured maṅgalas. I paste below the  
> text of Śrīdhara's maṅgala as we currently suppose it must be  
> edited.

The alternation of Śārdūlavikrīḍita with Sragdharā makes sense  
because they have structural affinities.  Śārdūlavikrīḍita has  
seven rising feet, falling into two hemistichs divided by a caesura.   
The first hemistich has four tetramoraic feet  (with anacrusis), the  
second has three pentamoraic feet (with catalexis).  Mandākrāntā  
and Chitralekhā have the same 4:3 pattern of tetramoraic and  
pentamoraic feet, only the feet are falling rather than rising.   
Sragdharā is similar except that it has an extra foot in the first  
hemistich (actually a problem for Deo's analysis, as she points out).

Paul Kiparsky




> Best greetings,
> Arlo Griffiths
> ----
> वन्दे यं परमं वदन्ति  
> मुनयः शान्तं चिदं  
> शाश्वतम्
> सत्यज्ञानमयं  
> हिमांशुधवलं  
> हारादिभिर्भूषितम् ।
> योगारूढमरिंधनुर्वराभयक 
> रं वामे श्रितं चेन्दिरां
> शेषक्रोडे वसानं  
> नृहरिमनिशमचिन्त्यमात्म 
> स्वरूपम् ॥
> श्रीमल्लक्ष्मीनृसिंहपद 
> युगकमले  
> भृङ्गवद्भृङ्गरूपी
> श्रेष्ठः  
> शाण्डिल्यगोत्रे  
> हरिहरसुकृती वेदरूपो  
> बभूव ।
> शान्तो दान्तो ।़नुरागी  
> हरिपदयुगलं भावयेद्यः  
> समाधौ
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> चिन्तयित्वा करोमि ॥
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> ग्रन्थं सूत्रानुसारतः ॥
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
>> Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 07:28:10 -0700
>> From: kiparsky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU
>> Subject: Re: Sardulavikridita metrics
>> To: INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
>>
>> Ictus on syllables 3, 6, 8, 12, 14, 17, 19 --- you can hear a brief
>> example of the traditional way it is recited at http://
>> pantheon.yale.edu/~asd49/sound/
>>
>> For the theory, see Ashwini Deo, The metrical organization of
>> classical Sanskrit verse, Journal of Linguistics 43.63-114 (2007).
>> This is really essential reading for anyone interested in Sanskrit
>> metrics.
>>
>> On Deo's analysis, Śārdūlavikrīḍita is one of the rhythmically
>> most complex and interesting meters (p. 109). Like some other
>> popular meters, such as Mandākrāntā, it has seven feet that shift
>> from tetramoraic to pentamoraic at the caesura, with the final foot
>> catalectic, in addition (unlike Mandākrāntā) also anacrusis in the
>> first foot.
>>
>> Paul Kiparsky
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On May 17, 2009, at 4:10 AM, Michael Slouber wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Indology list members,
>>>
>>> Is there more to know about the Śārdūlavikrīḍita meter than
>>> ma-sa-ja-sa-ta-ta-ga (12-7 x 4 lines)? Are any vipulas allowed?
>>> In a manuscript I am working on I have a verse with 5 lines in
>>> Śārdūlavikrīḍita. Is this common? (I have never seen it
>>> before) If there is a resource with extended discussion of this
>>> meter can you direct me to it?
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Michael Slouber
>>> PhD Candidate
>>> South and Southeast Asian Studies
>>> UC Berkeley
>
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