Arya metre

Āryā

The basic āryā verse has 12, 18, 12 and 15 mātrās in the first, second, third, and fourth pādas respectively. An example is the following from Kālidāsa's play Abhijñānaśākuntalam (c. 400 CE):

आ परितोषाद्विदुषां न साधु मन्ये प्रयोगविज्ञानम् ।

बलवदपि शिक्षितानामात्मन्यप्रत्ययं चेतः ॥ २ ॥

āparitoṣād viduṣāṃ

na sādhu manye prayogavijñānaṃ

balavadapi śikṣitānām

ātmany apratyayaṃ cetaḥ

– u u | – – | u u –

u – u | – – | u – u | – – | –

u u u u | u – u | – –

– – | – – | u | – – | –

"I do not consider skill in the representation of plays to be good (perfect) until (it causes) the satisfaction of the learned (audience); the mind of even those who are very well instructed has no confidence in itself."

Another example is from Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita's Vairāgya-śataka (17th century CE):

नीतिज्ञा नियतिज्ञा वेदज्ञा अपि भवन्ति शास्त्रज्ञाः ।

ब्रह्मज्ञा अपि लभ्या स्वाज्ञानज्ञानिनो विरलाः ॥

nītijñā niyatijñā

vēdajñā api bhavanti vedajñāḥ

brahmajñā api labhyā

svājñāna-jñānino viralāḥ

– – | – u u | – –

– – | – u u | u – u | – – | –

– – | – u u | – –

– – | – – | u | – u u | –

"People who know morality, know the inner order of conduct, know the Vedas (sacred knowledge), know the Scriptures or know the Supreme Spirit Himself are plentiful; but rare are those who know about their own ignorance."

The metrical treatise Vṛttaratnākara lays down several other conditions:

1. Odd numbered mātrā-gaṇas should not be ja-gaṇa (u – u).
2. The sixth gaṇa should be ja-gaṇa.