SQ8 ON SANSCRIT AND 



The stanza or strophe consists usually of four verses de- 

 nominated /'^^<f; ; or. considered as a couplet, it com- 

 prises two verses subdivided into pdJas or measures. 

 Whether it be deemed a stanza or a couplet, its half, 

 called arS'ha'-'Uca, contains usually two pdcias \ and in 

 general thi pauses of the sense correspond with the 

 principal pauses of the metre, which are accordingly in- 

 dicated by lines of separuion at the close of the s*l6ca 

 and of its hemistich. When the sense is suspended to 

 the close of a second S'Joca, the double stanza is deno- 

 minated Yiignid \ while one, comprising a greater num- 

 ber of measure, is termed Cidaca. In common with 

 others, I have sometimes translated s'loca by •* verse/* 

 or by *'cou; let;" but, in prosody, it can only be con- 

 sidered as a stanza, though the pauses are not always 

 very perfectly marked until the close of the first half: 

 and in conformity to the Indian system, it is Generally 

 treated as a tetrastich, though some kinds of regular 

 metre have uniform pauses which might permit a divi- 

 sion of the stanza into eight, twelve, and even sixteen 

 verses. 



In Vrdcrit prosody, a greater variety is admitted in 

 the length of the stanza ; some species of metre being 

 restricted to a true coupler, and others extended to 

 stanzas of six and even sixteen verses : independently 

 of pauses, which, being usually marked by rhyme, 

 would justify the farther subdivision of the stanza, in- 

 to as many verses as there are pauses. Even in San- 

 scrit prosody, instances occur of stanzas, avowedly 

 comprising a greater or a less number of verses than 

 four: as three, five, six, &c. But these are merely 

 exceptions to the general rule. 



