Poetry Forms

Anustubh

Anustubh is one of the old Sanskrit meters. It is also known as zloka.

Anustubh contains a total of thirty two syllables. These are divided over four lines of eight syllables.

The Anustubh has an irregular meter, so it seems, though there is a small "regularity".

I quote:
"The first four syllables of each line are totally irregular.
The next four syllables have to be either short-long-long-(optional/long) in the first and third lines and short-long-short-(optional/long) in the second and fourth lines."

The caesura in the Anustubh gives a kind of break between the first part of the eight syllables and the second part. It may shift, as the importance of the caesura is only to pause for a second.

Anustubh is usually used to chant, like a mantra.

An example:

free your mind of sorrow and fear
positive thoughts renew the soul
value life, teach children knowledge
never fail to try, you'll find heaven!

Poem © Bianca 2005
Sources:
http://www.stanford.edu/~jackm/poem.htm
http://jagat.wisewisdoms.com/articles/showarticle.php?id=66


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