नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

260 THE NATYASASTRA [ XV. 91-

The Foot

The foot (pada) arises from the root pad, and it means one quarter [of a couplet].

The presiding deities of metres

91-92. Agni and the like presiding over different metres are their deities.

Location

Location is of two kinds, viz, that relating to the body and that to a [particular] region.

Quantity of syllables

93. Syllables are of the three kinds, viz. short, long and prolated (pluta).

Colours of metres

Metres have colours like white and the like.

Pitch of vowels

94-95. The pitch of vowels is of three kinds, viz. high, low and medium. I shall speak about their character in connexion with the rules of Dhruvās Rules [about their use] relate to the occasion and the meaning [of thing sung or recited].

Three kinds of syllabic meters

95-97. Syllabic metres are of three kinds, viz. even (sama), semi-even (ardha-sama) and uneven viṣama).

If the number of syllables in a foot of any metre is difficient or in excess by one, it is respectively called Nivṛt or Bhurik. If the deficiency or excess is of two syllables, then such a metre is respectively called either Svarāṭ or Virāṭ.

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91-92 (C.51; B.XIV.105).
93 C.53b-54a, B.XIV. (107b-108a). This couplet is preceded by in B. three hemistichs which do not occur in some versions, and which seem to be irrelevant.
94-95 (C.53b-54a, B.XIV.108b-109).
95-97 (C.54b-58a, B.XIV.110-112a).