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INTRODUCTION
35
chandas, 8, 20–23. The problem remains to be investigated more thoroughly. For the time being the practice of calling all the Ghattā metres with the paymescheme a/b, d7e, c/f Şatpadis has been continued.
If we consider the distribution of the above metres over the three sections of the Apabhramśa epic from the view.point of the classification in Gāthā, Galitaka, Khanjaka, Sirsaka and Apabhraíba sections as found, for example, in the manuals of Svayambhū and Hemacandra, we see that most of the metres figuring. in the Kadavaka-opening piece are found together in the Khañjaka or occasionally in the Sirsaka section. Further most of the variation metres are either from the
Shorter' Dvipadi group, or Knañjakas, or from the Mātrā and Akşara-Gaņa mettes of the repetitive type (with a few non-repetitive type of Akşara-Gaņa mettes thrown in. Lastly for the metres of the Ghatta the manuals have a special sub-section in their Apabhramsa section. It seems that the Gathā and Galitaka classes of metres were exclusively for Prakrit composition, the Khasjaka and sirsaka classes were current in Prakrit as well as Apabhramba, while the metres of the Apabhramsa section were exclusive to that literature,
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