Tripadi

Tripadi(Kannada,lit.tri:three,pador "adi": feet) is a nativemetrein theKannada languagedating back to c. 700 CE.

Definition

Thetripadiconsists of three lines, each differing from the others in the number offeetandmoras(Sanskritmatras),but in accordance with the following rules:

• The first line has 4 feet, each with 5 moras, and acaesuraat the end of the second foot.
• The 6th and 10thfeetof thetripadiare each required to have themetrical patternof aBrahmafoot:

$-\smile \ \mathrm {or} \ \smile \smile \smile \ \mathrm {or} \ --\ \mathrm {or} \ \smile \smile -\ \$

where$\smile$(breve) denotes a short syllable, and$-$(macron) a long one.

• The remaining feet have either 5 moras or 4, chosen to satisfy the rules ofNagavarma II:

Line 120 moras in four feet
Line 217 moras in four feet
Line 313 moras in three feet.

• There isalliterationof the second letter of each line.

Metrical structure

An example, of a possiblescansion(metrical structure) of a tripadi, is given in (Kittel 1875,p. 98), where it is also stressed that it isnotthe form of the moras, but thenumberthat is important. (Here * denotes acaesura)

$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot1} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot2} }\star \overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot3} }|\overbrace {-\smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot4} }$(Line 1: 20morasin 4 feet)

$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot5} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {--} _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootVI} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot7} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot8} }$(Line 2: 17morasin 4 feet)

$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot9} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {--} _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootX} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot11} }||$(Line 3: 13morasin 3 feet)

Another example (Kittel 1875,p. 99) is:

$\overbrace {\smile \smile -\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot1} }|\overbrace {--\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot2} }\star \overbrace {\smile \smile -\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot3} }|\overbrace {-\smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot4} }$(Line 1: 20morasin 4 feet)

$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot5} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {-\smile } _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootVI} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile -\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot7} }|\overbrace {-\smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot8} }$(Line 2: 17morasin 4 feet)

$\overbrace {\smile \smile -\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot9} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {-\smile } _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootX} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot11} }||$(Line 3: 13morasin 3 feet)

Example

A well-known example of thetripadiis the third stanza in the inscription ofKappe Arabhatta(here the symbol|denotes the end of a line, and||,the end of the tripadi):

Sādhuge^1aSādhu^1bmādhuryange^1cmādhuryam^1d|
bādhippa^1ekalige^2akaliyuga^2bviparītan^2b|
mādhavan^2cītan^2dperan^2ealla^2f||

The literal translation of the tripadi is:

To the good people,^1agood;^1bto the sweet,^1csweetness;^1d|
causing distress^1e to the kali age,^2aan exceptional man inKaliyuga,^2b|
Madhava(orVishnu)^2cthis man,^2danother^2eis not^2f||

See also

• Kannada language
• Kannada literature
• Kannada meter (poetry)

References

• Kittel, Ferdinand(1875),Nāgavarma's Canarese Prosody,Mangalore: Basel Mission Book and Tract Depository. Pp. 104. (Reprinted, (1988) New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. Pp. 160),ISBN81-206-0367-2
• Narasimhia, A. N. (1941),A Grammar of the Oldest Kanarese Inscriptions (including a study of the Sanskrit and Prakrit loan words,Originally published: Mysore: University of Mysore. Pp. 375. Reprinted in 2007: Read Books. Pp. 416,ISBN1-4067-6568-6