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metres GRAMMAR
Aral () and its sub-types, of lett or set and its sub-types, of Bffct, etc., the preferential treatment of certain metres and the exclusion of others, the quantitative value of the final mora, the characteristic system of the termini technici and some special features of the method of treatment in general-on the strength of these criteria we can hazard to roughly distinguish at least two considerably divergent metrical traditions : the one, which for convenience's sake may be called the Classical Tradition, occupies itself mainly—but in no way exclusively with the prosody of the Apabhraṁsa epic poetry, while the chief- but again not the only-concern of the other, which may be called the Bardic Tradition, is the metres that are employed in the Ap. narrative and lyric poetry as of the compositions and other forms substantially cultivated by the popular bards (the Fitas ). Due to its popular character the latter tradition was obviously more open to continuous revision and reinforcement. The works of Svayambhū and Hemacandra on the one hand and the Pfare for on the other represent the Classical Tradition; the gzina (which is little more than a compilation from the ancient works of Arjuna or Alha and Gosala or Gulha) and the one (which also appears to have a highly composite character) represent the Bardic Tradition.
These facts bring forth one important result. In the proper identification of the metres employed in the epics like the riget of Puşpadanta or the n ame of Dhanapāla one should be guided ultimately by the metrical works of the Classical Tradition. The other sort of metrical works can at best render only a secondary help and as the common metres are at times divergently treated by the two sorts of metrical treatises, it will not be surprising if their undescerning use proves a source of confusion.' The same words apply to the value of the works on epic metres for the study of the metres of non-epical poetry.
§ 2. Adopting ALSDORF's classification (see .As. p. 46) we can deal with the metres of the Sr. under the following heads :
A. ATEITIS I. (a) Four-lined metres with the rhyme a b, c d.
1 JACOBI's (and following him ALSDORP's) adoption of the name om
instead of 977 for the commonly occurring epio metre with the scheme 6+ 4 + 4 + 2 is an illustration in point.
7 . 7.
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