INTRODUCTION 95 diâ metre. Svayambhủ himself says' in the beginning of his Rit- thanemicariu that Caturmukha gave him the Paddhadiā 'studded' with the Chaddani, Duvaa and Bhuvaa, Thus Paddhadiā appears to be the outstanding metre in Svayambhu's epics. Not only that, for the Ap. epic in general too the Paddhadiā has an importance second to none and comparable to that of the Anuştubh in the Sk. epics. Nevertheless, not a single Ap. metrician has des- cribed it in any systematic or thorough manner on the other hand there prevails considerable confusion regarding the meaning, struc- ture and function of Paddhadiā. All that we gather from what is said on this point by Svayambhū, the earliest authority, directly or as obiter dicta is collected below: In the eight chapter of SC. dealing mainly with the form and structure of the Ap. Sandhibandha and Rāsābandha, first we are in- formed that there are seven types of the Chaddañia, three types of the Ghattā, many types of the Paddhadiā and different types of the Giti. From this it is clear that here the term Paddhadiā stands not for one particular metre, but a class of metres. In the succeeding portion of the same chapter of SC. these varieties of the Chaddanja etc. are described. SC. VIII 30-34 are devoted to the description of the Paddhadiā. But the information we gather from that pas- sage rather gives an idea of the structure of a Kadavaka. It does little to enlighten us on the anekavidhatva of the Paddhadia. It states: if one undertakes to compose in the Paddhaạiā, he should construct a Kadavaka with eight Yamakas (rhyming distichs), each of which is made up of two Pädas of 16 moras each. There should be the Ghattā and the Chaņdaņia in the beginning and end respectively of the group of the Yamakas. A Sandhi is to consist of a limited number of such Kadavakas. Various other Ghattās, Chaddaņis, Vidārikäs and Dhavalas also be employed. This gives us an idea of where and how the Paddhadiā is employed. It also suggests that a Paddhadiā-pāda is 16-moraic. But nothing is said regarding the structure of these 16 moras or the different varieties of the Paddhadiā. But we get some results by examining the structures of the lines in these definition stanzas (SC. VIII 30- 33) which are also intended to illustrate the Paddhadia, evidently in one of its varieties. The 16 moras are divisible into four groups of four moras each, the form of the last four-moraic Gaņa being - U without fail. This is supported by SC. VIII 41-44 given to illustrate the Paddhadia which is said by SC. VIII 35 to appear along with some other metres in the beginning of a Sandhi. At another place in SC. VIII.47, the Paddhadiā" is included among the matres that are preferentially employed in the Rāsābandha. Last- ly Paddhadiâ occurs at SC. VII 160 cd as the name of a Sarvasamā Catuspadi Dhruvā having 16 moras per Päda which are divisible as 4+4+4+4. The lines containing this definition end in vi- From these pieces of information we can gather that like the terms Chaddania, Ghattā, Dhruvaka, Vastuka, the term Paddhadia also had two applications. It was the name given to the group of can (1) Chandaņia-Duvai-Dhuvaehim jadiya, Caumuheňa samappiya Paddhadiya/ RC. 1 i 10. (2) satta-viha Chaddania, ti-vihão honti taha a Ghattao/ Paddhadia 'nea-viha, Gğio honti vivihão//SC. VIII 7. (3) The text of the stanza is defective. If the emendation Paddhadiahin for Paddhadić suggested by Velankar is accepted, this would be one more in- stance of the use of the term Paddlația in the plural.
