Matsya Purana (critical study)
by Kushal Kalita | 2018 | 74,766 words | ISBN-13: 9788171103058
This page relates ‘Use of Chandas (metres) in the Matsyapurana� of the English study on the Matsya-purana: a Sanskrit text preserving ancient Indian traditions and legends written in over 14,000 metrical verses. In this study, the background and content of the Matsyapurana is outlined against the cultural history of ancient India in terms of religion, politics, geography and architectural aspects. It shows how the encyclopedic character causes the text to deal with almost all the aspects of human civilization.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 1 - Use of Chandas (metres) in the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa
Any literary piece in verse form possess three most necessary elements of poetry, viz., chandas, ṃk and rasa which are regarded as the unavoidable ingredients for making a poetical work worthy to its meaning. Of these chandas or metre takes the foremost position in a literary composition which is written in verses. The hymns of the Vedas are the oldest form of Sanskrit literature in verses which exhibit the application of various metres. The ṇa and the 貹Ծṣa too are composed in metres of different kinds. After the period of Vedic literature, the classical literature starting from the 峾ⲹṇa, the Ѳٲ, and the ʳܰṇa to the ٳśٰ, the ٳśٰ and every other work, written in verse form, reveal the brilliant use of different metres in their own way. Among these, the ʳܰṇa were composed for general people and therefore, the importance was given to simple and natural descriptions of the popular tales. Hence, with a view to make the narrations easy and lucid as well as easily memorable, ʳܰṇa were composed in verse form with the use of various metres.
After minute observation on the application of various metres in the ʳܰṇa, Adam Hohemberger says,
“a closer examination of the different works leads us to the astonishing conclusion that, with regard to the number of metres employed, the ʳܰṇa do not lag behind the many famous classical poems.�[1]
The term chandas is derived from the root chad which means giving pleasure or delight or cover.[2] A poem constructed in metrical form is accessible to readers and because of the rhythm of the metre, it is able to give pleasure to the reader effortlessly. A common tendency of human nature is that a poem read in the early childhood can easily be recited even in the old age, but at the same time, a prose passage read either in the childhood or afterwards is hard to remember word by word or line by line no matter how one tries to remember it. So, a poem and that is also in rhythmic tune can earn wide range of popularity among the connoisseurs.
For correct recitation of Vedic mantras, the knowledge of metre is necessary. It is said that if one utters or teaches a Vedic verse without knowing the seer, the presiding deity, applied metre and its application then great calamity will fall upon the speaker.[3] The science of metre forms one of the six part of ձṅg and is always referred to as the feet of the Vedapuruṣa.[4] The Nirukta has also used the expression Իṃs 岹 to show the importance of metre for correct recitation of Vedic verses.[5]
The ṻ岹, being the earliest Vedic work can be accepted as the first document showing the application of metre in it. Different Vedic metres are used in the hymns of the ṻ岹 as well as in later Vedic works.
There are primarily seven principal metres in Vedic literature viz.,
These seven Vedic metres are established in the Yajurveda[6] and also in the Atharvaveda.[7] The Ṛkپśⲹ has delineated on these metres.[8] This book also deals with various other metres. Three entire chapters are dedicated to the discussion of Vedic metres with their varieties and sub-varieties. These Vedic metres can be said to be the source for the origination of classical metres of Sanskrit literature with transformation in time to time. The first metrical composition in classical Sanskrit is regarded as the 峾ⲹṇa the authorship of which is attributed to ī쾱. After seeing the love-lorn condition of a paired bird, the seed of the pathetic emotion sprouted in the heart of ī쾱 as a result of which a beautiful couplet[9] came out from his lips.[10]
With the new form of metre called Śǰ첹, the classical metres began to flourish with their own style and form. Most of the classical metres are formed with specific ṇa i.e., group of syllables either by short syllables or long syllables or with both short and long syllables.
There are eight ṇas as enumerated by the Prosody writers and they are:
The ma-ṇa consists of three long syllables and na-ṇa consists of three short syllables. The first syllable of bha-ṇa is long and other two are short. On the other hand, the first syllable of ya-ṇa is short and the other two are long. The middle syllable is long and other two are short in ja-ṇa whereas in ra-ṇa the middle one is short and other two are long. The last syllable of sa-ṇa is long and other two are short whereas in ta-ṇa the last syllable is short and other two are long. Besides these there are two one syllabic ṇas as ga-ṇa and la-ṇa in which the first indicates one long sound and the latter stands for one short sound.[12]
The Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is a poetical composition having verses only. A variety of metres has been used in it. This ʳܰṇa has contained near about 14,000 verses. Most of the verses of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa are eight syllabic i.e., ṣṭṣa and Գṣṭܱ is the main metre of this ʳܰṇa. Գṣṭܱ is a Vedic metre having altogether thirty-two syllables in its four 岹 divided equally into eight syllables in each of the four feet. This metre is also known as Śǰ첹, Vaktra etc. Different prosody writers have defined Գṣṭܱ or Śǰ첹, the meanings of which are almost the same. According to them, in this metre, the 6th syllable is long and the 5th syllable is short in all the four quarters whereas the 7th syllable is short in the second and fourth quarter and it is long in the first and third quarter. 13
The scholars of Prosody again opine that verses with eight syllables in each of the four feet are to be identified as Գṣṭܱ only. According to ṣeԻ, as Գṣṭܱ has many varieties and sub-varieties, it cannot be restricted by the placement of any particular ṇa or syllable, short or long. That is why the only criterion should be the possession of eight syllables in each 岹 which have smooth sounding quality inherent in it.[13] In the Ծܰṇa it is said that Գṣṭܱ metre is formed with eight syllables. It has four 岹, though there are three 岹 sometimes.15 Therefore, all the verses of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa which have eight syllables in each of the four feet should be considered as having Գṣṭܱ metre.
The author of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, like other authors of similar works, prefers this metre for his composition because of its simple structure and consumption of less labour as compared to others. For example the very first verse of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is eight syllabic which has altogether 32 syllables:
pracaṇḍatāṇḍaṭope prakṣiptā yena diggajā/
bhavantu vighnabhaṅgāya bhavasya caraṇāmbujā�// [14]
In this verse, the 6th syllable is long and the 5th syllable is short in all the four quarters. The 7th syllable is short in the 2nd and 4th quarter and it is long in the first and third quarter. So, from every aspect the rule of Գṣṭܱ is employed in this verse.
After Գṣṭܱ the most used metre in the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is 貹پ. Generally the mixture of Ի and the Ի metres is called 貹پ. But writers invariably agree with the fact that mixer of other metres also constitute 貹پ. [15] Almost 450 verses are composed with this metre.
The metre Vasantatilaka takes the third place for its application in the verses of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa. There are fourteen syllables here. In this metre, one ta-ṇa, one bha-ṇa, two ja- ṇas and two long syllables are employed.[16] Almost 47 verses are composed in this metre.[17]
An example of this metre is:
ԲԻ岹 첹ḥk� ṛtī� ٰī 첹dzٲⲹ�ٳ 辱/
sve gṛhe sukhaśatānyanubhūya bhū ܰī貹岹� 岹⾱ 岹⾱ prati// [18]
In this verse, one ta-ṇa, one bha-ṇa, two ja- ṇas and two long syllables are found in each of the four quarters. So it is an ideal example of Vasantatilaka.
The metre named ղṃśaٳ has occupied the next place as it is used in 34 verses of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa.[19] This is a twelve syllabic metre. When there are one ja-ṇa, one ta-ṇa, one ja-ṇa and one ra-ṇa in each of the four quarters of a verse then it is an example of ղṃśaٳ metre.[20]
An example of ղṃśaٳ from Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is:
niśamya taddurgavidhānamuttama ṛt� ܳٲīⲹ첹ṇ�/
徱ٱḥsܳ 岹ٲᲹṇa� ś� ܰԲԳٲ�// [21]
Here one ja-ṇa, one ta-ṇa, one ja-ṇa and one ra-ṇa are found in each of the four quarters and thus this verse is said to be composed in ղṃśaٳ.
ܳ metre has thirteen syllables with one ja-ṇa, one bha-ṇa, one sa-ṇa, one ja-ṇa and one long syllable in all the four 岹.[22] In the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa there are 23 verses where this metre has been employed.[23]
An example is:
tato haro himagirikandarākṛtim ܲԲԲٲ� ṛdܲپ� pracodayan/
mahāvṛṣaṅṇatumulāhitekṣaṇa� sa bhūdhrānaśaniriva prakampayan// [24]
Here, in this verse one ja-ṇa, one bha-ṇa, one sa-ṇa, one ja-ṇa and one long syllable are present in all the four 岹. Hence it is a clear example of ܳ.
Sragvinī metre has in all twelve syllables. When four ra-ṇas are present in all the four quarters of a verse then it is a case of Sragvinī.[25] Sragvinī is used in 22 verses of this ʳܰṇa.[26]
In the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa there are total 18 verses where ʳṣp岵 metre has been employed.[27] When two na- ṇas, one ra-ṇa and one ya-ṇa are found in odd quarters and one na-ṇa, two ja- ṇas, one ra-ṇa and one long syllable are available in even quarters then it is called ʳṣp岵.[28]
An example of this metre is as follows:
iti pathati śṛṇotithabhaktvidhimakhila� ravisaṃkramasya puṇyam/
matimapi ca dadāti so’pi devairamarapaterbhavane prapūjyate ca// [29]
In this verse, there is two na- ṇas, one ra-ṇa and one ya-ṇa in 1st and 3rd quarters and in 2nd and 4th quarters there are one na-ṇa, two ja- ṇas, one ra-ṇa and one long syllable. Therefore, this verse can be said to be composed in ʳṣp岵 metre.
ī is applied in 13 verses of this composition.[30] According to the writers of Prosody, when two na-ṇas, one ma-ṇa and two ya-ṇas are found to be present in all the four 岹 of a verse then it is called a case of ī.[31]
For example:
ԾḍaԾܱī� ī첹ṇṭ峾� 岹ܻ徱ٲṅgٲ峾/
ܲܳٲٲśīԲٳٲ屹� Բ쾱śⲹśDzśDzٲԳٲś// [32]
This verse has two na-ṇas, one ma-ṇa and two ya-ṇas in each of its four quarters and thus fulfilling the condition of ī metre.
Besides these metres, the names of other metres used more or less are:
- Bhramaravilasita,
- մṭa첹,
- Dodhaka,
- 鲹ٳǻ,
- Śī,
- Bhujaṅgaprata,
- Drutavilaṃbita [Drutavilambita],
- ṇ�,
- ʰṣiṇ�,
- ʲñ峾,
- ṛtī,
- ,
- Aparavaktra and
- Ār.[33]
In the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, it is seen that the author has not always completely followed the rules of Prosody. Some verses have followed the strict rules of a particular metre but there are other verses which do not follow the norm of that specific metre. Among the four feet of such verses if some quarters maintain the norm, there are, at the same time, some quarters from the same verse do not follow the standard rule. In this way, the verses of Ѳٲⲹܰṇa have exhibited a wide range of peculiarities.
For example in the following verse, it appears that Vasantatilaka metre has been applied.
kasdvibhūtiramalāmaramartpūj ca ᾱ峾ܲԻ岹īṇām/
bhār malpatapa 貹ٴṣiٱԲ 岹ٳٲ� mambujagṛhañca munīndra! dhātrā// [34]
But in this verse, the 2nd quarter bears only 13 syllables instead of 14 which makes it faulty in fulfilling the norms of Vasantatilaka metre. A faulty Vasantatilaka is also seen in another verse where one more syllable is added.[35] The 3rd quarter has 15 syllables which ultimately results in the partial fulfillment of this metre in the said verse.
Again in the verse
athānni cāpāni tasmin saroṣ� ṇe ǰ첹 ṛhīٱ Գ/
śṣaⲹԲԻ� ٲٲṣuԲ’mṣaṼ۲ٲԱٰ�// [36]
The norm of Bhujaṅgaprata metre is not applied completely, as the last syllable of the third 岹 is irregularly short. The Bhujaṅgaprata metre consists of four ya-ṇas.[37]
The following verse is in ղṃśaٳ metre with a flaw where the last syllable of the first foot is irregularly short instead of long:
sa tārakākhyastaḍilireva ca mayena rdha� ٳܳ/
ܰ� 貹屹ṛtⲹԳܳٱ ś徱 ⲹٳ śī� pavanodaye gatā// [38]
In the verse:
iti pathati śṛṇoti ya� prasaṅgāt/ kalikaluṣavimukta� ī lokameti/
matimapi ca narāṇāṃ yo dadāti prirtham/ vibudhapativine ⲹ첹� sdamogha�// [39]
It appears that the metre ī is employed, but the 1st foot possess 12 syllables instead of 15 and thus cannot be said to be a correct form of metre ī.
Another verse is
iti danutananmayastathok suraṇaraṇaṇe vacāṃsi/
ܱپԲṣaṇṇ Բ� tat tripuraܰ� saha ś // [40]
This verse is in ʳṣp岵 metre with a defect in the 3rd foot where a syllable is irregularly long instead of short and thus, cannot form the metre. Like the above mentioned verses there are a lot of verses which have some kind of faults in their quarters and in this way they are faulty in forming a particular metre. In this connection it is to be mentioned that as the ʳܰṇa have many editions, the readings of the verses vary from one to another. Likewise, the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is available in various manuscripts which more or less have different readings within themselves. Hence, these faults in metre may not be always the faults of the authors.
Another peculiarity which can frequently be seen in the verses of the Ѳٲⲹܰṇa is that a good number of verses are composed with three feet only, whereas the general criterion of a verse is that it should contain four feet i.e., 岹.[41]
As for example
ī kurute tu ܳī ԲԱ/
vidha ٲٳ ī pi tat phalapnut/
ܲ岵ⲹDzⲹṃpԲ ܰī loke mahīyate// [42]
Another instance of the same kind is
峾� kecid ṛkṣ� Դǰ�/
apare kṣīriṇo 峾 ṛkṣāstatra Դǰ�/
ye rakṣanti ṣīr� ṣaṭpñ峾ṛtDZ貹// [43]
In this way it is seen that the use of metres in Ѳٲⲹܰṇa has some unique characters.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Adam Hohemberger, ‘Metres of Classical Poetry in the ʳܰṇa,� ʳܰṇa, Volume XI, No 1, p.11
[2]:
Vaman Shivram Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 212
[3]:
avidit ṛṣicchandodaivata� yogameva ca/ yo’dhpayejjaped辱 pāpīn jāyate tu sa�// ṛh𱹲, VIII.132
[5]:
Nirukta, I.1.1
[6]:
gāyatrī triṣṭubjagatyanuṣṭuppaṅkt saha/ bṛhatyuṣṇihā kakupsūcībhi� śamyantu t// Śܰⲹܰ岹, XXIII.33
[7]:
ⲹٰī� triṣṭubha� jagatīmanuṣṭubha� bṛhadarkī� yajanāya svarābharantīm// Atharvaveda, VIII.9.14; sapta cԻṃs caturuttarāṇyanyo anyasminnadhpitāni/ Ibid., VIII.9.19
[8]:
gāyatryuṣṇiganuṣṭupca bṛhatī ca prajāpate�/ paṅktitriṣṭubjagatī ca saptacԻṃs tāni ha// Ṛkپśⲹ, XVI.1
[11]:
mastrigurustrilaghuśca nakāro bhādiܰ� punarādilaghurya�/ jo gurumadhyagato ralamadhya� so’ntaܰ� kathito’ntalaghusta�// ԻdzñᲹī, I.8
[12]:
gurureko gakārastu lakāro laghurekaka�/ Ibid., I.913 śǰ ṣaṣṭ� guru ñⲹ� sarvatra laghu pañcamam/ dvicatuṣ岹yorhrasva� ٲ� īԲⲹ�// ŚܳٴDzǻ, II.4; 貹ñ� laghu sarveṣu ٲ� dvicaturthayo�/ guru ṣaṣṭ� ca sarveṣāmetacchlokasya lakṣaṇam// ܱṛtٲپ첹, I.14; sarvvatra pañcamo hrasvo ܰ� ṣaṣṭho dvituryyayo�/ yatrāṅghryo� saptamo � sa śloko gururanyayo�// ṛtٲñᲹī, V.2
[13]:
asaṃkhyo bhedasaṃsargādanuṣṭupchanda� ṇa�/ tatra lakṣnureṇa śravyatā� pradhānatā// ܱṛtٲپ첹, I.15 15 ṣṭākṣarairanuṣṭupsccatuṣpācca tripātkvacit// Ծܰṇa, 330.7
[14]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, I.1
[15]:
anantarodīritalakṣmabhājau 岹u yadṣvupajātayastā� / ittha� kilānsvapi miśritāsu vadanti jātiṣvidameva 峾// ԻdzñᲹī, II.3, p.38
[17]:
Cf., 64.28; 83.21,22,23,24,25,26,27; 96.14,25; 100.8,9; 116.25; 138.46,47; 33,34,39,40,41,78,79; 255.24; 257.22,23; 270.35,36; 274.77,78; 276.17,18; 277.22; 11,12,13; 280.15; 281.15; 282.13,14,15; 283.17,18,19; 287.12,13; 288.15,16
[18]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 64.28
[19]:
Cf., 126.41; 130.27,28; 133.67,70,72; 136.66,67,68; 138.57; 140.43; 148.100, 101,102; 151,152,153,154; 154.397,398,399,400,401,402,403; 162.36; 24,25,26,27,29,30,32; 251.26
[21]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 130.21
[23]:
Cf.,118.77; 153.28; 154.452,453,454,455,456,457,458,460,461,462,463,465, 466,467,468; 54; 251.27,29,31,33,34
[24]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 154.452
[25]:
kīrtitaiṣ� catūrephikā sragviṇ�// ԻdzñᲹī, II.7, p.53
[26]:
Cf.,154.554,555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,563,564,565,566,567, 569,570,571,572,573,574,575
[27]:
Cf., 54.31; 55.33, 60.49; 61.57; 62.39; 98.15; 100.37; 115.19; 134.33; 136.64; 137.31,33; 89; 276.19; 281.14; 285.21,23; 286.16
[28]:
ayuji nayagarephato yakāro, yuji ca najau jaragāśca puṣpitāgrā// ԻdzñᲹī, III.5, p.145
[29]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 98.15
[30]:
Cf., 63.29; 82.31; 93.161; 180.31,44; 275.28,29; 278.29; 280.14; 282.16; 284.21; 288.17; 17
[31]:
nanamayayayuteya� linī bhogilokai�/ ԻdzñᲹī, II.4
[32]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 180.31
[33]:
C.R.Swaminathan, ‘A Metrical Analysis of the Matsya ʳܰṇa,� ʳܰṇa, Volume II, No. 1-2, pp. 243-244
[34]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 100.8
[35]:
Ibid., 100.10
[36]:
Ibid., 153.191
[37]:
bhujaṅgaprata caturbhi yakārai�// ԻdzñᲹī, II.5, p.52
[38]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 136.67
[39]:
Ibid., 63.29
[40]:
Ibid., 134.31
[42]:
Ѳٲⲹܰṇa, 63.28
[43]:
Ibid., 113.71