(Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3.)

Chapter 4: Chandas and gati — a look at the meaning of “chandas”92 0.105 0.202

Like ‘laya’, the term ‘gati’ is not needed for defining a metre. But it is crucial in any discussion of the metre’s quality / beauty.92 0.193 0.651

Fn 28.92 0.786 0.918

First, what is chandas?92 0.646 0.75693 0.106 0.166

The word “chandas”. We don’t have to worry about its etymology.93 0.166 0.361

A long footnote on its etymology. :-) Anyway, shows why it isn’t important.93 0.361 0.899

Interesting sentence from the above. The traditional Indian and Western methods and goals of etymology.93 0.700 0.825

Quotes from sources94 0.107 0.542

Summary / listing of meanings. (Read this, referred to later.)94 0.537 0.90795 0.102 0.313

Original meaning was just ”padya”; the study thereof is a secondary meaning.95 0.313 0.511

1, 2, 3, are meanings born of analysis; (4) extends them to cover “padya”.95 0.483 0.708

Property, and thing that has property.96 0.110 0.282

Fn 30: Amara’s definition agrees with Piṅgala.95 0.708 0.933

In Bharata96 0.275 0.519

Typo in book. OK OK :-)96 0.600 0.912

Chandas = pattern of L and G (Obvious stuff?)96 0.514 0.58497 0.106 0.90098 0.108 0.267

Echoed in Jayakīrti98 0.267 0.502

raghaṭā98 0.476 0.835

Fn 32: Jayakīrti has written a great work.98 0.835 0.91399 0.131 0.370

Fn 32 continued: On raghaṭā. Originally only ra-s (GLG); later other 5s substitutable. Etc. (More details.)99 0.346 0.905

Fn 32 continued: Even more on raghaṭā (especially historically)100 0.138 0.796

Fn 32, part 2: Inference about origins of ṣaṭpadi [Didn’t understand this; need to come back later]100 0.773 0.893101 0.600 0.909

What we’ve seen so far: (1) chandas = padya (originally) (2) By extension, chandas-śāstra is called chandas too. (3) [more definitions] (4) applies to all speech.101 0.108 0.554

Then is gadya (prose) also chando-badda? Well, no.102 0.099 0.397

[Clarification of everything] chandas = LG pattern. When pattern is apparent (uniformity, etc), is padya. Constrained, unconstrained.102 0.394 0.904

I think we’ve ended up with two meanings of “chandas”:

  • Chandas meaning the pattern of Ls and Gs in something: its scansion. With this meaning, it indeed applies to everything, as every arrangement (sequence) of letters has some corresponding arrangement (sequence) of Ls and Gs.

  • Chandas meaning padya, something whose Ls and Gs are constrained to satisfy some property. This was the original meaning, and remembering this meaning also helps us avoid wasting time on pointless (unconstrained) sequences.

Both make sense, and we will encounter both these meanings again.