An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon

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An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon - 30 2.13 Āpātalikā (a.k.a. Vegavatī) This metre has 14 measures in the odd lines, and 16 in the even, as with Vetālīya, but with a different cadence: −⏑⏑−×. In the Canon the most common forms of the odd lines: ⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−× −−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−× the even lines: −⏑⏑−−¦−⏑⏑−× −⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−× We sometimes find syncopation producing different patterns in the opening of these lines. When it attains to its Classical form, it is then known as Vegavatī, and is restricted to: ⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−× −⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−× (x2) Examples: Kokāliyasutta (part) Sn III:10; Vangīsa’s gāthās (pt) Th 1214 - 1222, the latter gāthās being mixed with Vetālīya. Example from Kokāliyasutta (Sn III:10) (vs 673): ⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−− Asipattavanaṁ pana tiṇhaṁ, −⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−− taṁ pavisanti samacchidagattā, −−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−− jivhaṁ baḷisena gahetvā, −⏑⏑−⏑⏑¦−⏑⏑−− āracayāracayā vihananti.
An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon - 31 2.14 Svāgatā In the Canon this metre has two dissimilar lines repeated to make up a verse, and the structure was still quite fluid: Svāgatā odd lines: −⏑−⏑¦−−⏔× −⏑⏑−¦−−⏔× Svāgatā even lines: −⏑−⏑−¦−⏔−× −⏑⏑−−¦−⏔−× Note how close this is to Āpātalikā at this stage. In the later period however the even line is fixed and repeated four times, so that the structure is then defined as: −⏑−⏑⏔¦−⏑⏑−× (x 4) Examples: early, Mahāsamayasuttanta DN. 20 vs 3 (quoted below as the example); late: Jātakanidānakathā vs 291: −−⏑−¦−−⏑⏑− "Chetvā 1 khilaṁ chetvā palighaṁ, −⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑−− indakhīlam-ūhacca-m-anejā, −⏑−⏑¦−−⏑⏑− te caranti suddhā vimalā, −⏑⏑−−¦−⏑⏑−− Cakkhumatā dantā susunāgā" ti. 1 For this line to scan correctly we need to read Chetva here.
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Page 4 and 5: iii Acknowledgements The idea for t
Page 6 and 7: v Preface to the 3rd Edition (May,
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