PRAGRIT POETRY. 433 



The SdrdiilavicrtJita, a very common metre, of which 

 examples occur in the former volumes of Asiatick Ke- 

 seurches*, is a tetrastich in which the verse-consists of 

 nineteen syllables divided by the pause into portions of 

 twelve and seven syllables respectively. " The following 

 instance of this Vnetre is from the close of the first book 

 of Ma'gha's epick poem ; where Na'rfda, having de- 

 livered a messaoe from Inpra, incitino Crishn'a to 

 war with Sis'ufa'la, king of the ChUis , departs, leav- 

 ing the hero highly incensed against his kinsman and 

 enemy. 



[See Plate C. Fig. 1.] 



O'm ityuctavoto't'ha sa'nigina, iti 

 Vyo hritoa^ vachati, nablias 



Tasminii utpatire purah sura-munav 

 Itido h s'riyan vibhroii, 



S'atru n a m aiiis am vina s a pis unah, 

 Crudd'hosya Chaldyai« prati, 



Vyo'mni va, bhrucjti ch'halena, vadaue 

 Cetus chaca'r'a'pa'lani. 



* While the divine .sjo;c, havi no; delivered this discourse, 

 ascended the sky, bearing on his front the radiance of the 

 moon; tlie hero, armed with a bow, uUercd an expression of 

 assent; and the frown, which found place on his brow wreak- 

 ful against the prince of the CbeJis, was as a portent in the 

 heavens, foretokening destruction of his foes.' i. 75. 



The Mandacra'nfa\ which is the metre in winch 

 the Meghadiita is composed, has pauses siuldividirig 

 each verse of t-eventeen syllables into three portions, 

 containing four, six, and seven syllables respectively : 

 viz. two spondees ; rwo pyrrichii and an iambic: a cre- 

 tic, trochee, and spondee. The Harhii differs from 

 the preceding in transposing the first and second 

 portions of the verse, and making the third consist C)i 

 an anapaest between two iambics. An instance of it 

 will be iiibsequently exhibited. 



* Vol. I. p. 2/9. 

 Vol. X. F f 



