An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon

An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon - 34
Note that −⏑⏑ is very rarely found in any gaṇa.
The only difference between the two pādayugas lies in the 6th gaṇa.
Ariyā, which is the most common metre in this class, has the first
pādayuga described above followed by the second, this gives a mattā
count of 30 + 27.
Examples: Isidāsī’s gāthās Thī 400 - 447, and Sumedhā’s gāthās Thī
448 -522
Example Thī 458-9:
−⏑⏑¦⏑−⏑¦⏑⏑−¦⏑−⏑,¦−⏑⏑¦⏑−⏑¦−−¦−
Kiṁ bhavagatena abhinanditena, kāyakalinā asārena? 1
⏑⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−−¦¦⏑⏑−¦⏑⏑−¦⏑¦−−¦−
Bhavataṇhāya nirodhā, anujānatha pabbajissāmi.
−−¦−−¦−−¦¦⏑−⏑¦−−¦⏑−⏑¦−−¦−
Buddhānaṁ uppādo, vivajjito akkhaṇo khaṇo laddho,
−−¦⏑−⏑¦−−¦¦−−¦−−¦⏑¦−−¦−
sīlāni brahmacar i yaṁ yāvajjīvaṁ na dūseyyaṁ.
The next three metres are much less common:
Gīti has the first pādayuga repeated to make up a verse,
mattā = 30 + 30.
Example: Paripuṇṇaka’s gāthā Th 91:
⏑⏑−¦⏑−⏑¦⏑⏑−¦¦−−¦−−¦⏑−⏑¦⏑⏑−¦−
Na tathāmataṁ satarasaṁ suddhannaṁ yaṁ mayajja paribhuttaṁ,
⏑⏑⏑⏑¦−−¦⏑⏑−¦⏑−⏑,¦−−¦⏑−⏑¦−−¦−
aparimitādassina Gotamena Buddhena desito Dhammo. 2
1 Note that this pādayuga is a variation (vipulā), lacking the expected word
break after the 3rd gaṇa.
2 Again this line is a variation.