Chandas (छंदस्), are the system of prosody used in Vedic and Classical Sanskrit poetry. They are primarily classified into two major categories: Vṛtta (syllable-counting metres) and Jāti (mora-counting metres), with several sub-types in each.
Major Classifications
Vṛtta (Syllabic Metres):
Metres in this category depend on a fixed number of syllables (akṣara) per line (pāda). They are further divided into three forms based on pattern consistency:
Samavṛtta:
All four lines of a stanza have the identical syllabic structure and pattern of light (laghu) and heavy (guru) syllables.
Ardhasamavṛtta:
Alternate lines (first and third, second and fourth) have a similar structure.
Viṣamavṛtta: All four lines have different structures.
Jāti (Quantitative Metres):
These metres depend on the duration or time-lengths of syllables (morae, or mātrā). A short syllable counts as one mora, and a long syllable as two more.
Hybrid Metres:
A class combining features of both Vṛtta and Jāti, such as the Vaitaliya metre.
Key Vedic Metres
The ancient Vedic texts primarily used seven major metres, often referred to as the "seven birds" or "seven mouths of Brihaspati":
Most frequent in post-Vedic literature (Epics like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Mahabharata).
Bṛhatī
36
2 lines of 8; 1 of 12; 1 of 8
Rare, found in Vedas.
Paṅkti
40
5 lines of 8 syllables
Uncommon in early texts, alternates with Triṣṭubh.
Triṣṭubh
44
4 lines of 11 syllables
Second most common in post-Vedic literature and Kavyas.
Jagatī
48
4 lines of 12 syllables
Common, often alternates with Triṣṭubh.
Gana System (Trisyllabic Feet)
For specific syllabo-quantitative metres in classical Sanskrit, patterns of three syllables called gaṇas are used to define the structure of a line. Each gaṇa has a name (e.g., Ma-gaṇa H-H-H, Bha-gaṇa H-L-L, Ja-gaṇa L-H-L) which helps define a specific metre's signature pattern.
Also
Sanskrit metres, or
Chandas, have specific patterns of syllables (Vṛtta) or morae (Jāti). The structure is determined by laghu (light, short vowel, marked L) and guru (heavy, long vowel or short vowel followed by two consonants, marked H) syllables.
Here are samples of some of the most common and famous Sanskrit metres:
1. Anuṣṭubh (अनुष्टुभ्)
This is the most popular and foundational metre in Classical Sanskrit, used extensively in the Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, and Bhagavad Gitā.
Structure: 4 lines of 8 syllables each (32 syllables total). The pattern is generally flexible, but typically the 5th, 6th, and 7th syllables of each line follow a specific pattern (e.g., L-H-H in certain pādas).
Sample (Bhagavad Gitā 2.11):
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṃ prajñā-vādāṃś ca bhāṣase | gatāsūn agatāsūṃś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ ||
(Syllabic Pattern L/H):
L H H L H L L H | H L L H L L H H || L H H H L L H H | H L H H L L H H ||
("You grieve for those who are not worthy of grief, and yet you speak words of wisdom. The wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead.")
2. Triṣṭubh (त्रिष्टुभ्)
The second most common metre in classical poetry, consisting of 4 lines of 11 syllables each. The last four syllables typically follow a H-L-H-H pattern.
Structure: 4 lines of 11 syllables (44 syllables total).
H H H H L L H H H L L | H H L L H H H H L L H || (Note: Vedic Triṣṭubh is less rigid than classical Triṣṭubh.)
("With your butter, O Mitra-Varuṇa, sprinkle our pastures, with the essence of honey, O you of speckled beauty.")
3. Indravajrā (इन्द्रवज्रा)
A fixed, highly ornamental metre used in classical Sanskrit Kāvya (poetry), often alternating with the Upendravajrā metre.
Structure: 4 lines of 11 syllables. The fixed pattern relies on the Gaṇa system: Ta-gaṇa(H-H-L), Ta-gaṇa (H-H-L), Ja-gaṇa (L-H-L), and two concluding gurus (H-H).
Pattern (HLH LH L HH): HHL HHL LHL HH
Sample (from various traditional verses):
syād indravajrā yadi tau ja gau gaḥ (This line is literally the definition of the meter itself, illustrating the pattern)
("It is the Indravajrā metre if there are two Ta-gaṇas, a Ja-gaṇa, and two gurus.")
4. Vasantatilakā (वसन्ततिलका)
A popular and elegant metre associated with spring, consisting of 14 syllables per line.
Structure: 4 lines of 14 syllables. The pattern uses four Gaṇas and two concluding gurus: Bha-gaṇa (H-L-L), Ja-gaṇa (L-H-L), Ja-gaṇa (L-H-L), Ga-gaṇa (L-H-H), and two concluding gurus (H-H).
Pattern (B JJ Gg): HLL LHL LHL LHH HH
Sample (from various traditional verses):
jñeyā vasantatilakā tabhajā jagau gaḥ (Again, the line describes its own structure)
("The Vasantatilakā metre is known by Bha, Ja, Ja, Ga, Ga.")
Metre Utkṛti consists of 104 letters. One should drop 4 letters step by step to get other metres like abhi, saṁ, vi, āṅi, pra etc. prefixed to kṛti separately. Then there would be metres such as Kṛti, Atidhṛti, Dhṛti, Atyaṣṭi, Aṣṭi, Atiśakvarī, Śakvarī, Atijagatī, Jagatī. Metres described thereafter are classsical. Vedic metres beginning with Triṣṭup, Paṅkti, Bṛhatī, Anuṣṭup, Uṣṇik, Gāyatrī are said to be the metres.
Supratiṣṭhā of 20 letters, Pratiṣṭhā of 16 letters, Madfhya of 12 letters, Atyuktā of 8 letters, Uktā of 4 letters.
Thus each one has lesser number of letters. 4th part of Gāyatrī having 24 letters would be a foot. Gaṇacchandas are described now.
Gaṇas are made up of 4 syllables. They might be a guru ( long syllable ) at the beginning, middle or end or 2 long syllables or 4 short syllables. 4 syllabic instants and 5 gaṇas ( groups ) are said to be the characteristics of Āryā ( metre ).
