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'''{{IAST|Anuṣṭubh}}''' ({{lang-sa|अनुष्टुभ्}}, {{IPA-sa|ɐnʊˈʂʈʊbʱ|IPA}}) is a meter and a metrical unit, found in both [[Vedic meter|Vedic]] and [[Sanskrit metre|Classical Sanskrit]] poetry, but with significant differences.

By origin, an '''anuṣṭubh''' stanza is a [[quatrain]] of four lines. Each line, called a ''pāda'' (lit. "foot"), has eight syllables.

==In Vedic texts==
Arnold distinguishes three varieties of anuṣṭubh in the Vedic corpus: an early free form, with very few restrictions except a general iambic (u – u x) tendency in the cadence ('''vṛtta''') of each of the four ''pāda''s; e.g.

:{{lang|sa|ā´ yás te sar}} | {{lang|sa|pirāsute}} | – – – – | u – u – |
:{{lang|sa|ágne śám ás}} | {{lang|sa|ti dhā´yase}} ‖ – – – – | u – u – ‖
:{{lang|sa|áiṣu dyumnám}} | {{lang|sa|utá śrávah}} | – – – u | u – u u |
:{{lang|sa|ā´ cittám már}} | {{lang|sa|tieṣu dhāh}} ‖ – – – – | u – u – ‖<ref>Macdonell (1916), p. 438.</ref>

Next came a mildly trochaic development in the opening of each ''pāda''; and finally the development of the "epic anuṣṭubh" (mostly in the [[Atharvaveda]]) prefiguring the classical [[śloka]] form. Although in these hymns the iambic cadence of the first verse is still the most frequent (25%) of all varieties, it is already very nearly equalled (23%) by the normal and characteristic cadence of the first verse in the epic anuṣṭhubh ([[śloka]]), where the iambic cadence in the first verse has entirely disappeared.

==In Classical Sanskrit: the ''śloka''==

In classical Sanskrit the ''anuṣṭubh'' developed into its specific epic form known as ''[[śloka]]'', as described above, which may be considered the Indian verse ''par excellence'', occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry.<ref>Macdonell (1927), p. 232.</ref>

By the 5th century CE, in the poetry of [[Kalidasa]], the ''śloka'' had the restricted form shown in the table above. Each half-verse of 16 syllables can take either a '''pathyā''' ("normal") form or one of several '''vipulā''' ("extended") forms. The ''pathyā'' and ''vipulā'' half-verses are arranged in the table above in order of frequency of occurrence. The most common is the ''pathyā''. Out of 2579 half-verses taken from [[Kalidasa]], [[Bharavi]], [[Magha (poet)|Magha]], and [[Bilhana]], each of the four admissible forms of shloka in this order claims the following share: 2289, 116, 89, 85;<ref>Macdonell (1927), p. 233.</ref> that is, 89% of the half-verses have the regular ''pathyā'' form.

In earlier epic, such as the [[Mahabharata]], a fourth ''vipula'' is found, namely:
:| x x x –, | – u – x ||

Two rules that apply in every ''śloka'' are:
:1. In both ''pāda''s, in syllables 2–3, u u is not allowed.
:2. In the second ''pāda'', in syllables 2–4, – u – is not allowed.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Arnold, E. V. ''Vedic metre in its historical development'', Cambridge, University Press, 1905
* Hopkins, E. W. ''The Great Epic of India'', C. Scribner's Sons, New York, 1901
* MacDonald, Anne. [https://web.archive.org/web/20111006004359/http://repository.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/dspace/handle/2261/6836 "Revisiting the Mūlamadhyamakakārika: Text-Critical Proposals and Problems."] ''Indotetsugaku-Bukkyōgaku-Kenkyū'' 14 (2007), 25-55
* Macdonell, Arthur A. (1927), ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927) Appendix II.
* Macdonell, Arthur A. (1916), A Vedic Grammar for Students Appendix II, p. 438. (Oxford University Press, 1916).
* {{cite book| author = Oldenberg, Hermann| title = Prolegomena on Metre and Textual History of the R̥gveda: Metrische und Textgeschichtliche Prolegomena, Berlin, 1888| date = 2005-01-01| publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publishe| isbn = 978-81-208-0986-4 }}
* Steiner, Roland. "Die Lehre der Anuṣṭubh bei den indischen Metrikern." ''Suhṛllekāḥ'', ''Festgabe für Helmut Eimer''. (''Indica et Tibetica'' 28). Eds. Hahn, Michael & Jens-Uwe Hartmann. Swisttal-Odendorf (1996), 227-248.

==See also==
* [[Vedic meter]]
* [[Sanskrit prosody]]
* [[Shloka]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anustubh}}
[[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]]
[[Category:Poetic rhythm]]
[[Category:Stanzaic form]]
[[Category:Indian poetics]]

Anuṣṭubh - Revision history

Delinker at 14:07, 25 July 2023