Āryā meter is a meter used in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Marathi verses. A verse in āryā metre is in four metrical lines called pādas. Unlike the majority of meters employed in classical Sanskrit, the āryā meter is based on the number of mātrās (morae) per pāda. A short syllable counts for one mātrā, and a long syllable (that is, one containing a long vowel, or a short vowel followed by two consonants) counts for two mātrās. It is believed that āryā meter was taken from the gāthā meter of Prakrit.^[1] Āryā metre is common in Jain Prakrit texts and hence considered as favourite metre of early authors of Jainism. The earlier form of the āryā metre is called old gīti, which occurs in a some very early Prakrit and Pāli texts.^[2]

Āryā

The basic āryā verse has 12, 18, 12 and 15 mātrās in the first, second, third, and fourth pādas respectively. An example is the following from Kālidāsa's play Abhijñānaśākuntalam (c. 400 CE):

आ परितोषाद्विदुषां न साधु मन्ये प्रयोगविज्ञानम् ।

बलवदपि शिक्षितानामात्मन्यप्रत्ययं चेतः ॥ २ ॥

āparitoṣād viduṣāṃ

na sādhu manye prayogavijñānaṃ

balavadapi śikṣitānām

ātmany apratyayaṃ cetaḥ

– u u | – – | u u –

u – u | – – | u – u | – – | –

u u u u | u – u | – –

– – | – – | u | – – | –

"I do not consider skill in the representation of plays to be good (perfect) until (it causes) the satisfaction of the learned (audience); the mind of even those who are very well instructed has no confidence in itself."

Another example is from Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita's Vairāgya-śataka (17th century CE):

नीतिज्ञा नियतिज्ञा वेदज्ञा अपि भवन्ति शास्त्रज्ञाः ।

ब्रह्मज्ञा अपि लभ्या स्वाज्ञानज्ञानिनो विरलाः ॥

nītijñā niyatijñā

vēdajñā api bhavanti vedajñāḥ

brahmajñā api labhyā

svājñāna-jñānino viralāḥ

– – | – u u | – –

– – | – u u | u – u | – – | –

– – | – u u | – –

– – | – – | u | – u u | –

"People who know morality, know the inner order of conduct, know the Vedas (sacred knowledge), know the Scriptures or know the Supreme Spirit Himself are plentiful; but rare are those who know about their own ignorance."

The metrical treatise Vṛttaratnākara lays down several other conditions:

1. Odd numbered mātrā-gaṇas should not be ja-gaṇa (u – u).
2. The sixth gaṇa should be ja-gaṇa.

Gīti

The gīti meter has 12, 18, 12 and 18 mātrās in its four pādas respectively.

Vṛttaratnākara lists several other conditions.

Upagīti

The upagīti meter has 12, 15, 12 and 15 mātrās in its four pādas respectively.

Vṛttaratnākara lists several other conditions.

Udgīti

The udgīti meter has 12, 15, 12 and 18 mātrās in its four pādas respectively.

Vṛttaratnākara lists several other conditions.

Āryāgīti

The āryāgīti meter has 12, 20, 12 and 20 mātrās in its four pādas respectively.

Vṛttaratnākara lists several other conditions.