A few aspects of Vedic metres

Abstract:

This paper is attempts to provide a clear concept about the Vedic metres, especially their
etymological connotations. What is the origin of the metre? Who is the seer of these seven Vedic
metres? What is the parameter through which we can differentiate the metres one from another?
The etymology and the evolution of the seven Vedic metres are thoroughly discussed in this
paper. Present researcher tries to highlight the usefulness of chandas as an important part (aṅga)
of the Vedas. Discussion over the opinions of our pūrvācāryas about chandas is a significant
aspect of this paper.

____________________________________________________________________________

List of the Abbreviations:

AST Aṣṭādhyāyī

AV Atharvaveda

DB Daivatabrāhmaṇa

GB Gopathabrāhmaṇa

KB Kauṣitakībrāhmaṇa

PB Pañcaviṃśabrāhmaṇa

RV Ṛgveda

SB Śatapathabrāhmaṇa

SV Samaveda

TB Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa

TS Taittirīyasaṁhitā

YV Yajurveda

Keywords: Chandas, Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Tṛistup, Jagatī, ṛk, vedāṅga, mantra.
The Vedas are the fountainhead of all knowledge in the Sanskrit tradition. Manu has described
the Veda as consisting of all branches of Knowledge.1 Therefore, it is the Vedas which are
considered to be the origin of Chandaḥśāstra as well.2 The sopajñavṛtti of Bhatṛhari’s
Vākyapadīya also yields some information about the origin of chandaḥśāstra.3 The RV associates
the chandas with their respective presiding deities (Devatā). Thus the antiquity of the
Chandaḥśāstra is attested to by the Ṛgvedic verses themselves. Chandas is included as one of the
six vedāṅgs, literally “lims of the Vedas”4. Some scholars are of the opinion that the Vedāṅgas
originated around 11,000 years ago in what is known as Kṛtayuga5. It is evident from
Vatsyāyaṇa’s testimony that the seers of the Vedas were also profounder of the chandaḥśāstra,
as they are also traditionally considered to be the propounders of Ᾱyurveda and other auxiliary
scriptures.6 Gārgya also bears testimony to the origin of the chandaḥśāstra; he has referred to
Piṅgala and other ācāryas who were the composers of various texts of the chandaḥśāstra7;
names which also appear in the Nidānasūtra8. However, it would be wrong to think that the
chandaḥśāstra starts with Piṅgala only, because Piṅgala himself mentions his own precursors,
thus establishing a prior existence of the discipline9. The popularity and influence of

1
“sarvajñānamayo hi saḥ” Manusmṛti 2.7
2
Vedāt ṣaḍaṅgānyuddhṛtya, mahābhārata, śāntiparva, 284.92
3
indācchandaḥ prathamaṁ prāsyandadannaṁ tasmādime nāmarūpe vidūṣī|nāma
prāṇacchandorūpamutpannamekaṁ chando bahudhā cākaśīti|| ,Bharttṛhari, Sopajñavṛtti, Vākyapadīyam
1.112

4
chandaḥ pādou tu vedasya | Hastau kalpo’tha paṭhyate||
jyotiṣāmayanaṁ cakṣur | niruktaṁ śrotramucyate|| Pāṇiniyaśikṣā.
5
mīmāṃsaka, Yudhisthira, Vaidikachandomīmāmsā, p.48
6
draṣṭṛpravṛktṛsāmānyāccānumānam- ya evātmā vedārthānāṁ draṣṭāraḥ pravaktāraśca ta
evāyurvedaprabhṛtīnām ,Vātsyāyana , Nyāyabhāṣya, 2.1.68
7
brāhmaṇāt taṇḍiṇaścaiva piṅgalācca mahātmanaḥ|
nidānādukthaśāstrācca chandasāṁ jñānamuddhatam||mīmāṁsaka, yudhiṣṭhira, vaidikachando-
mīmāṁsā, p.51
8
tāṁ jyotiṣmatīmiti pāñcālāḥ, urobṛhatī yāskaḥ, mahābṛhatītyeke, mīmāṁsaka, yudhiṣṭhira,
vaidikachando-mīmāṁsā, p.52
9
Piṅgalachandaḥsūtra, 3.34, 7.9, 3,29, 7.33,3.30, 7.34, 5.18
chandaḥśāstra (along with the other vedāṅgas), is also proven by the fact that the six aṅgas were
known to such ancient authorities like Bodhāyana10 and Gautama11, and find mention in Gopatha
Brāhmaṇa12 and Rāmāyaṇa13. In his Chandoviciti, commentary in Piṅgala’s chandaḥsūtra has
attributed a divine origin to the chandaḥśāstra; for him, it originated from Śiva and was handed
down in a continuous line upto Piṅgala14. There are other authorities who also subscribe to this
traditional belief.15 One commentator of Piṅgala’s chandaḥsūtra, goes a step further and
mentions Pārvatī and a few other figures along with Śiva as the divine originators of the
chandaḥśāstra.16 In the world of Sanskrit scholarship, diverse definitions of the term chandas
have been put forward over the centuries. Our present purpose is mainly to deal with the vaidika
chandas. Katyayana has defined chandas as “yadakṣaraparimāṇaṁ tacchandaḥ”17 in his work,
the definition given in Vṛihatsarvānukramaṇī18 is not much different. The intended meaning is
strengthened by the testimony of the RV itself, where we encountered the following mantra
“akṣareṇa mimate sapta vāṇīḥ”19. The term chandas has been subjected to variegated usage in
the Vedic canon. For instance, it refers to the Sūrya, the Sun, in the following mantra from the

10
Bodhayanadharmasūtra, 2.14.2
11
Goutamadharmasūtra, 15.28
12
GB, 1.1.27
13
Ramayaṇa, Balakāṇḍa, 7.15
14
chandojñānamidaṁ bhavād bhagavato lebhe surāṇāṁ guruḥ|
tasmād dyuścavanastato'suragururmāṇḍavyanāmā tataḥ|
māṇḍavyādapi saitavastataḥ ṛṣiryāskastataḥ piṅgalaḥ,
tasyedaṁ yaśasā gurorbhuvi dhṛtaṁ prāpyāsmadādyaiḥ kramāt||, yādavaprakāśa, chandasūtrabhāṣya.
15
chandaśāstramidaṁ purā trinayanāllebhe guho'nāditaḥ| tasmāt prāpa sanatkumāramunistasmāt
surāṇāṁ guruḥ|| tasmāddevapatistataḥ phaṇipatistasmācca sapiṅgalaḥ|
tacchiṣyairbahubhirmahātmabhiratho mahyaṁ pratiṣṭhāpitam|| (manuscript)yādavaprakāśa,
chandasūtrabhāṣya.
16
śivagirijānandiphaṇīndrabṛhaspaticyavanaśukramāṇḍavyāḥ|
saitavapiṅgalagaruḍapramukhā ādyā jayanti gurucaraṇāḥ|| manuscript of piṅgalachandaḥsūtra.
17
Kātyāyana, Ṛksarvānukramaṇī, 2.6.
18
chando'kṣarasaṁkhyāvacchedakamucyate, Atharvavedasya Bṛhatsarvānukramaṇī|

19
Ṛgveda, 1.164.24
TB“chandāṁsi vai vrajo gosthānaḥ” ,.20 The SB, on the other hand, uses the term to imply the
rays of the sun,21 and not the sun itself. Elsewhere in the same text, it refers to anna22 . The AB,
again, describes chandaḥ as an anga of Prajāpati.23 In latter literature, eg. the purāṇas, (Vāyu24, 25
Matsya26, Viṣṇu27), the term denotes the seven rays of the sun, a clear assimilation and expansion
of the meaning available in the TB and SB. These seven rays were later on conceived of as the
seven horses of the sun’s chariot,28 and were named accordingly.29 The gradual unfolding of the
brightness of the dawn has been likened to the ‘smile’ of the chandas in the context of seven,
RV30. Chandas has been referred to in the context of the seven favourite resorts of agni31.It has

20
Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa 3.2.9.3

21
annaṁ vāca paśavaḥ, tānyasmā ( prajāpataye) acchadayam̐stāni yadasmā
acchadayam̐stasmācchandāṁsi, Śatapathabrāhmaṇam 8.5.2.1

22
eṣa vai raśmirannam, Śatapathabrāhmaṇam, 8.5.3.3
23
prajāpatervā etānyaṅgāni yacchandāṁsi , Aitareyabrāhmaṇa, 2.18
24
chandobhiraśvarūpaiḥ, Vāyupurāṇam 52/45

25
chandobhirvājinirūpaistu ,Vāyupurāṇam 51.57, Matsyapurāṇam124.4

26
chandorūpaiśca tairaśvaiḥ , Matsyapurāṇam 125.42

27
hayāśca sapta chandāṁsi, Viṣṇupurāṇam2.9.7

28
hayāśca sapta chandāṁsi teṣāṁ nāmāni me śṛṇu, Viṣṇupurāṇam, 2.8.7

29
saptāśvarūpāścchandāṁsi vahante nāmato dhuram| gāyatrī caiva triṣṭup ca anuṣṭubjagatī tathā||
paṅktiśca bṛhatī caiva uṣṇik caiva tu saptamam|| Vāyupurāṇam 51.64,65

saptāśvarūpāścchandāṁsi vahante nāmato dhuram| gāyatrī caiva triṣṭup ca anuṣṭubjagatī tathā||

paṅktiśca bṛhatī caiva uṣṇik caiva tu saptamam|| Vāyupurāṇam 51.64,65

saptāśvarūpāśchāndāṁsi vahante vāyuraṁhasā||| 46|| gāyatrī caiva triṣṭup ca jagatyanuṣṭup tathaiva ca

| paṅktiśca bṛhatī caiva uṣṇigeva tu saptamaḥ|| 47||Matsyapurāṇam, adhyāya 124,

30
śriye chando na smaryate vibhātī, Ṛgveda, 1.92.6

31
chandāṁsi vā asya sapta dhāma priyāṇi, Mādhyandinasaṁhitā, 17.39
also been referred to as favourite body of agni in TS32. However, Swami Dayānanda Saraswati
has taken the term chandas to mean the AV.33 The koṣagranthas generally give the names of
different chandas34 specially Gāyatri,35 while dealing with the meaning of the term. Barring the
above definition, the term has also been used in the sense of desire36 and arrangement of
consonants and vowel37. However, some of the text applies the term only in the context of
versification evident in the Ṛgvedic mantras, and consequently leaves out the prosaic elements of
the YV from its purview. This is in harmony with the popular notion which associates the term
only with the verse. Many authorities, naturally, do not consider the term applicable to the
mantras in the YV because they are prosaic in spirit.38 There are, of course, authorities who are
not ready to accept such a limited application of the term. One such voice is Durgacharya, the
commentator of Nirukta, has applied the term to define the metres in either case “nācchandasi
vāguccarati iti”39. Bharata also argued that each and every word is endowed with chandas.40

32
agnervai priyā tanū chandāṁsi, Taittirīyasaṁhitā 5.2.1

33
( chandāṁsi ) atharvavedaśca…vedānāṁ gāyatryādichandonvitatayā punaśchandāṁsīti padaṁ
caturthasyātharvavedasyotpattiṁ jñāpayatīti avadheyam ,Dayānanda Sarasvatī,
Ṛgvedāsibhāṣyabhūmikā,
34
gāyatrīprabhṛticchando vedecchayorapi, Śāśvata 402

35
gāyatrī pramukhaṁ chandaḥ, Amarakoṣa 2.7.22

36
chandaḥ padye'bhilāṣe ca , Amarakoṣa 3.3.232

icchāsaṁhitayorārṣe chando vede ca chandasi, kāśikā 1.2.36

37
chandaḥ padyecchayoḥ śrutau, hemacandra, Anekārthābhidhānakoṣa, 583

chandaḥ padye ca vede ca svairādyācārābhilāṣayoḥ, Medinīkoṣa, satrika 22

38
yajurmantrāṇāṁ tvaparimitākṣaropetatvācchandovibhāgo nāsti, Sāyaṇācārya,
Chāndogyamantrabrāhmaṇabhāṣyam p.8

39
Durgācāryavṛttiḥ, Niruktam,7.2

40
chandohīno na śabdo'sti, na chandaḥ śabdavarjitam, Nāṭyaśāstram, 14.45.
Kātyāyana, too, is of the opinion that the entire vāṅmaya without exception is endowed in
metre41. The same view is held by Jayakīrti also.42

We get the sentence “chandāṁsi chandayatīti vā”43 in DV of SV, though it appears that
chandayanti and not chandayati should have been the grammatically correct term. The
dhatupātha of churādigaṇa44 gives the meaning of chadi as ‘control’ and prescribed the suffix
ṇic is necessary to derive chandayati from this root. Elsewhere, a variant reading of chadi gives
the meaning as forbiddance. However, the derivation suggested by the Niruktas45 seems to be the
most interesting. Here the term is used in the sense of covering something. The same sense is
evident in the following mantra in TS46. Within the Nirukta, the ‘chandas’ term has been derived
from the ‘canda’ (cadi) dhātu and the suffix is asūn, while on the other hand chandapād has its
origin from chandadhatu within unādisūtra .47 The origin or explanation of chandaḥpāda (line of
each metre) can be obtained by various means48. Here, various things such as root and its
meaning, suffix etc. are to be kept in mind. We know ‘chādayati āhlādayati’, which delights,
refreshes, is chandas. In the Vedas, mainly seven metres of syllabic-structure are used. These are
named as Gāyatri, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Triṣṭup and Jagatī. Serially each one consists
of four syllables more than the previous one. “yad gāyatre adhi gāyatram āhitam”49, “agner
gāyatry abhavat sayug vā”50, “gāyatro’gnih51” mention that at the time of the performance of
41
chandobhūtamidaṁ sarvaṁ vāṅmayam syādvijānataḥ| nācchandasi na cāpṛṣṭe śabdaścarati kaścana,
Kātyāyana, Ṛgyajuṣapariśiṣṭa.

42
chandobhāgvāṅmayaṁ sarvaṁ na kiñcicchandasāṁ vinā, Jayakīrti, Chando'nuśāsanam, 1.2

43
sāmavedīyaṁ daivatabrāhmaṇam , 1.3

44
chadi saṁvaraṇe ,pāninīyadhātupātha
45
chandāṁsi chādanāt, Niruktam, 7.12

46
te chandobhirātmānaṁ chādayitvopām̐stacchandasāṁ chandastvam, Taittirīyasaṁhita 5.6.6.1

47
Canderādeśca chaḥ, pañcapādī, 4.219., Daśapādī, 9.38
48
chandasāṁ tena chandasstvaṁ khyāyate vedavādibhi, Gārgya, Upanidānasūtram, 8.2
49
RV,10.130.4-5
50
RV,1.134.23
51
TS 2.2.5.5, 7.1.1.4
Viśvasṛjāmayana from Prajāpati the seven meters begins with Gāyatrī along with agni etc.52
According to, the Jaimini53, the guiding factor in the classification of the pādas (lines) is
meaning of each Ṛk54. Therefore, all the mantras in the RV are composed in one metre or
another, be it Gāyatrī Uṣnik or Jagatī.55 The relevance of studying the Vaidika metres lies in the
fact that it enables us in determining the appropriate metre in which a particular mantra was
envisioned by a Rṣi. Though the Vaidika metres are diverged, the most celebrated are the Gāyatrī
saptaka56 , namely Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik57, Anuṣṭup58, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Tṛistup59, and Jagatī, among
which Gāyatrī has a later count of twenty four and each of the following exceeds its precedent
by four syllables. However, there are also subsidiary variations of Gāyatrī, owing to the fact that
a Vaidika metre is not essentially altered by the addition or deletion of one or two syllables.60

52
Sathe, Jayshree, “Etymologies of Vedic Meters”, The Studies in Chandaḥśāstra, p.355
53
“teṣāmṛk yatrārthavaśena pādavyavasthā”, Jaimini, 2.1.34

54
yadyarthavaśena ityucyate, yatra vṛttavaśena tatra na prāpnoti-agniḥ pūrvebhirṛṣibhiḥ ” Śavarasvāmī
, Śāvarabhāṣya,1.1.2

kriyānupādānāt ’agniḥ pūrvebhiḥ’ ityaparyavasite'rthe vṛttavaśena pādavyavasthā| nanu ca ’agnimīḽe’

ityapi samastāyā ṛca evārthavattvānnaiva pratipādamarthaḥ paryavasyati| iti na vācyam- arthavaśena
pādavyavasthā iti| kathaṁ na vācyam ? ’agnimīḽe’ iti tāvatpratyakṣaṁ samāpto'rtho dṛśyate| parayoḥ
pādayorasamāpta iti cenna, ākhyātānuṣaṅgeṇa samāpteḥ siddhatvāt| tasmāt sādhūktam –
ihārthavaśeneti|, Kumārila.

55
RV, 1.164.23
56
gāyatrī, anuṣṭup, triṣṭup, jagatī “gāyatrevoṣṇigabhavat paṅktimalpāmupekṣate| anuṣṭubeva bṛhatī tena
catvāri bhāṣate| veṅkaṭamādhava, chano'nukramaṇī 6.1.7 Saptaiva Chandaṃsi, MS, Mīmāṃsak,
Yudhiṣṭhira, Vaidikachandomīmāmsā, p.90.

57
uṣṇih , taittirīya saṁhitā 2.4.11
uṣṇihakakubhau, mahābhāṣyam 4.1.4
58
taittirīya saṁhitā 2.4.10
59
catuścatvāriṁśadakṣarā triṣṭug, maitrāyaṇī saṁhitā 2.5.10, 2.6.2.

60
na vā ekākṣareṇa chandāṁsi viyanti na dvābhyām, śatapathabrāhmaṇam 13.2.3.3

na hyekākṣareṇānyachando bhavati na dvābhyām| Kauśitakibrāhmaṇa 27.1

Yāska in his Nirukta gives an etymological explanation of all the metres. He states “Gāyatrī
gāyateḥ stutikarmanaḥ”61: the praise of Gods is possible by the use of Gāyatrī metre and thus so
named. In the Ṛgveda,also it is mentioned that, “Ṛcāṁ tvaḥ poṣamāste pupuṣvān /
Gāyatraṁ tvo gāyati śakvarīṣu / Brahmā tvo vadati jatavidyaṁ / Yajñasya mātraṁ vimimīta u
tva.”62 The word ‘Gāyatra’ came from the root ‘gai’ in the sense of praise in instrumental case
with suffix ‘stran’, from the root gai-gāy, that is, to sing, to praise. According to the Ᾱcarya
Yāska, Gāyatra is “trigamanā vā viparīta gāyato mukhād udapatad iti ā brāhmaṇam”. Gāyatrī
metre contains three feet so it is called trigamanā (trigama trigāya Gāyatrī). That which sings
and protects is also Gāyatrī.63Thus, the derivational sequence of the word is
Gāpatra>Gāyatra>Gāyatrī.64 Similarly, Uṣnik is a name of second Vedic metre consisting of
twenty eight syllables. It is derived from ud+snih, meaning ‘to be attached to, to feel affection
to’ Pānini in AST65 which mentions that the words ṛtvik, uṣṇik, etc. are irregularly formed by
adding the affix kvip so ut+snih+kvip that forms crude noun uṣṇik, which does not have a little
trace of the root meaning, in the current rendering as a metre. Nirukta says that the word Uṣṇik
came out from the root ‘ṣṇai’(to surround).Surrounded by four syllables, this metre is called
Uṣṇik. It may be a metaphorical expression or a lovable metre of the Gods, it may be derived
from the root ‘snih’(to love). Uṣṇik contains four more syllable as compared to Gāyatrī . The
term uṣṇikas Sāyaṇa explains utpūrvat ṣṇā śauce ity asmad dhātor uṣṇikśabdaḥ66which means
having bathed, purified, cleansed thoroughly, it is uṣṇik. “yad vā snihyater vā kāntikarmaṇaḥ” or
as if having anointed, i.e. brightened, this is Uṣṇik or ‘ṣnih prītav iti dhātur yat prītyātmakam tat
kāntam api bhavati’ which means loved by, pleasing, beautiful also, this is uṣṇik, Kāntam hy
etad devatānam chandaḥ,this is the desired meter by gods because it pleases them. “api voṣṇīṣiṇī
uṣṇīṣavatīty aupamikam” which means furnished with a head-dress or turban. The third Vedic
meter is anuṣṭup which consists of four pādas of eight syllables, total 32 syllables. KB67

61
Nirukta, 7/12/6
62
Ṛgveda, 70/71/11
63
Gāyati ca trāyate ca ya vai sā ca gāyatrī, chāndyagyopaniṣad, 3.12.1
64
Sastri, Asoke Chatterjee, Piṅgalacchandaḥsūtra A Study, pp. 56-57.
65
AST 3.2.59
66
Devatādhyāya Brāhmaṇam
67
Kauṣitakī Brāhmaṇa, 26.1
mentions dvātriṁśad akṣara anuṣṭubh, in several Brāhmaṇa texts Anuṣṭubh is equated with
Vāk.68 It is considered as supreme meter in SB.69PB70 considers it as the origin of all meters. The
word is derived from ‘stubh’ with ‘anu’ as prefix which means praise . V.S. Apte gives “anu
nirantarm stubhyate anayā iti anuṣṭubh.”. In AB71, there is a myth which narrates anuṣṭubh as
the meter of Prajāpati, and how it was neglected by him but later given due status by employing
it in the beginning of every Soma-pressing. Sāyaṇa explains that the root stubh means to
increase72. In AB73 also, it is stated that gāyatrī becomes pregnant and creates anuṣṭup. After its
birth, it praised gāyatrī. The forth Vedic meter is Bṛhatī, which consists of 36 syllables. It is
derived from the root bṛh+ati which means very large. DB74 states “bṛhater vṛddhikarmaṇaḥ”.
It is Bṛhatī because it is derived from bṛh which means to increase. In the words of Yāska75, it is
Bṛhatī because of its growth. Sequentially the fifth Vedic metre is Paṅkti. This Vedic metre
consists five pādas each of eight syllables, overall forty syllables. According to V. S. Apte, ‘pañc
vistāre ktin’i.e. the root pac+ktin suffix (to spread). DB76 states that paṅktiḥ pañcinī., Sāyana
explains it as connected with the numerical pañca it is paṅktiḥ and also it indicates its five
foldness by five quarter pādas. AB77, KB78and Nirukta79 explain that panktiḥ pañcapadā. The
Next, the sixth Vedic metre is Triṣṭubh. It consists of four pādas, each of eleven syllables. The
total number of syllable is forty four. GB80 and AB81 states “ekādaśākṣarā vai triṣṭup triṣṭup
triṣṭubho rudraḥ” as it is of eleven syllabic and eleven rudras are connected with it. In the whole

68
Vāg vai anuṣṭubh, TB 3.10.3
69
SB, 13.3.3.1
70
PB, 151.5.17
71
AB, 3.13
72
Stobhatir vṛdhyarthaḥ, gāyatrītaḥ samākṣarapadavṛddeḥ, Sāyaṇabhāṣya, DB, 3.7
73
AB, 4.28
74
DB, 3.11
75
Vṛhatī paribharaṇāt, Yāska, Nirukta, 7.12
76
DB, 3.13
77
AB, 5.19
78
KB, 11.2
79
Nirukta, 7.12
80
GB, 2.3.10
81
AB, 8.2
RV the most popular metre is triṣṭup. 4253 mantras are composed in triṣṭubh. According to DB82
and Nirukta,83“triṣṭup stobhati uttarapadā.” Sāyaṇa explains it as stubh, denoting praise that
occurs as uttarapadā which is the last member of triṣṭubh. Containing the highest number of
syllable than the other earlier varieties it is a superior metre84. In Nirukta,85 Yaska explains the
sense of the nimble metre. It is praised thrice therefore it is Triṣṭup.86 Jagatī: The last metre
among the seven Vedic metre is Jagatī. It has forty eight syllables within its four pādas. Its
derivation is from the root gam which means to move, to live. After the root gam the affix kvip is
added and leads to re-duplication.87 The vārtika of the pāṇinian sūtra “dyutigamijuhotīnām dve
ca” brings out the re-duplication figure of Jagatī Jag-jagat+kvip. The motion of the metre can be
compared to the flow of water. Therefore it is stated jalacaragatir iva gatir yasyāḥ sā jagatī. In
this way it isjalacaragati>gagati>jagati. This word has been formed according to the dictum
“pṛṣodarāditvāt sādhu”88or jagatī which may be derived from the root ‘glai’. It is mentioned in
the brāhmana that, prajāpati became tired of creating metres and then at last he formulated this
one, after being exhausted.89

The chandas of Veda are determined by using the number of letters as a mean of
measurement that were obtained by the Ṛṣis in the form of vision. Therefore, it is said,
“yadakṣaraparimāṇaṁ tacchandaḥ”90. Veda can be studied by the medium of chandaḥ, which is
one of the most important among the six Vedāṅgas. The ages have seen a number of ancient texts

82
DB, 3.14
83
Nirukta, 7.12
84
tīrṇatamam chandam bhavati,Sathe, Jayshree, “Etymologies of Vedic Meters”, The Studies in
Chandaḥśāstra, p.363
85
Nirukta, 7.12
86
Trivṛid vajraḥ tasya stobhanīti va, sathe, Jayshree, “Etymologies of Vedic Meters”, The Studies in
Chandaḥśāstra, p.363
87
AST, 3.2.178
88
Sastri, Asoke Chatterjee, Piṅgalacchandaḥsūtra A Study, p. 59
89
“Atyartham glāyan prajāpatir nirviṇṇaḥ san sṛṣṭavān iti brāhmaṇam aha”. Skandasvamī and
Durgācārya comment “ glai harṣakṣaye, kṣīṇaharṣa iva prajāpatiḥ. Sasṛje dadarśa ityarthaḥ na hi
chandāṁsi kriyante nityatvāt., Sastri, Asoke Chatterjee, Piṅgalacchandaḥsūtra A Study, p. 59
90
Kātyāyana, Sarvānukramaṇī, 2.6
of Vedic chandaḥ are Ṛkprātiśākhya by Śaunaka, Ṛksarvānukramaṇī by Kātyāyāna, Nidānasūtra
by Patañjali, Upanidānasūtra by Gārgya, Śāṅkhyāyanaśrautasūtra by Śāṅkhyāyana,
Ṛgarthadīpikāntargata Chanānukramaṇī by Venkaṭamādhava, Chandaḥsūtram by Piṅgala and
Chandaḥsūtram by Jaydeva. Though the first six of the above-mentioned books basically discuss
something different, but Vaidikacchandas has been dealt with in some context. The last two
books are mainly related to chandas, and both Vaidika and Laukika have been discussed in these.
Apart from this, in the fifth chapter of Śuklayajurveda Sarvānukramaṇī, Vaidic chandas has
been pointed to. For, the knowledge of Vaidikacchandaḥ, the chandaḥsūtra by Piṅgala is the
most popular.

Bibliography:
Book:
1. Arnold, Edward Vernon. 1967. Vedic Metre in its Historical Development. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass.
2. Dharmapal,Gauri. 1999. Veder Bhāṣā o Chanda. Kolkata: Paschimbanga Madhya Siksha
Parshad.
3. Mīmāmasaka, Yudhiṣṭhira. 2009. Vaidika-Chandomīmāmsā. Hariyana: Ramlal Kapur
Trust.
4. Mishra, Shrikishor. 2006. Chandaśāstra Ki Udbhav Evam Vistāra. Varanasi:
Sampurnananda Sanskrit University.
5. Mitra, Arati. 1989. Origin and Development of Sanskrit Metrics. Calcutta: the Asiatic
Society.
6. Sastri, Asoke Chatterjee. 1987. Piṇgalacchandaśāstra: A Study. Kolkata: Univeristy of
Calcutta, The Asutosh Sanskrit Series (No. VI).

Edited Book:

1. Pataskar, Bhagyalata. 2012. The Studies in Chandaśāstra. Ed. Bhagyalata Pataskar.

Pune: Adarsha Sanskrit Shodha Samstha.
Electronic Resources:

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