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NIYAMAS 3-4 ]
सटीको वृत्तजातिसमुच्चयः
127
3 short, these latter being compulsory at the 6th and the 14th Amśas. V. 3 contains the definition as well as the illustration of this shortest Gāthā, which is called Lakşmi. V. 4 contains merely the illustration of the longest Gathā containing 55 letters of which 53 are short and 2 are long, being compulsory at the end of each of the two halves. The names given to these 26 varieties of a Gāthā, which are called Prastāra Gāthās by Ratnasekhara, Chandahkośa 55, differ in different works. See e.g., Chandaħkośa vv. 56-57; Nanditadhya vv. 40-41; Kavidarpana, Commentary on II. 8; Praksta Paingala I. 60-61 and Hemacandra, Chandonuśäsana (N. S. P. edition, 1912, p. 27b, lines 15-17). The names given by Prākrta Paingala mostly agree with those of Virahānka; those given by Nanditadhya, Kavidarpana and Hemacandra, Chandonuśäsana agree among themselves, but wholly differ from those of Virahānka. Ratnasekhara in his Chandaħkośa on the other hand, differs from both these sets of names, though the first of his names and also a few more from the rest agree rather with the names of Virahānka than with those of the other three. It may perhaps be said that Virahānka, Pingala and Ratnasekhara follow one tradition, while the other three follow the other, first adopted by
Nanditadhya. Vy. 9-14 : Skandhaka is an extended Gīti where a Caturmātra is pre
scribed in place of a long letter at the end of each half. Thus there are 8 Caturmātras in each of its 2 halves, of which the 6th is always a Narendra Caturmātra (ISI). But in the absence of a Narendra, even a Vipra (IIII) may be used according to IV. 107 below, as in the
ase of the Gathā. Like the 26 varieties of the Gathā, we may have 29 of the Skandhaka, the shortest having 30 long and 4 short (compulsory at the 6th Amśa in each half) letters and the longest having 2 long (compulsory at the end of each half according to I. 13 abovej and 60 short letters in it. According to Präkrta Paingala I. 75-76 there are only 27 varieties of the Skandhaka, the longest having according to him 4 long (2 at the end of each half and 1 in the compulsory Narendra2 (ISI) group at the 6th place of each half) and 56 short letters. Hemacandra, Chandonuśāsana (N. S. P. ed. of 1912, p. 286, lines 18-20) and Kavidarpana II. 9 commentary however agree
2. Pingala possibly intends that the Gathā and its derivatives should possess at least one Narendra group (cf. I. 63); but because the two halves of a Skandhaka must be alike (samarūă; I. 73) the longest variety of a Skandhaka should have at least two Narendra groups, and thus four long letters at least. In the introduction, p. VII line 19, read 29 varieties for 31 varieties.
