chandōrṇavaḥ

Śālinī

Pattern

m · t · t · g · g

ऽऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ ऽऽऽऽऽ।ऽऽ।ऽऽ

Description

Śālinī is a meter of the triṣṭup class, with eleven syllables per line. It has an obligatory word-break after the fourth syllable, and according to some authorities, after the seventh as well. Here is its pattern:

ऽ ऽ ऽ ऽ, ऽ । ऽ, ऽ । ऽ ऽ

Definitions

Piṅgala, Chandaḥsūtram 6.20:

śālinī mtau tgau g samudra r̥ṣayaḥ

Nāṭyaśāstram :

ṣaṣṭhaṁ ca navamaṁ caiva laghunī traiṣṭubhē yadi
gurūṇy anyāni pādē tu sā jñēyā śālinī yathā

Ratnamañjūṣā 5.35:

śālinī mālyē dī

Jānāśrayī 4.39:

śālinī gēsr̥ nī

Jayadeva, Chandaḥśāstram 6.20:

mtau tgau gaś cēc chālinī

Ratnākaraśānti, Chandōratnākaraḥ 2.20:

mō vō rau vaḥ śālinī vēdalōkaiḥ

Jayakīrti, Chandōnuśāsanam 2.100:

viśrāmō ’bdhau śālinī mēna tau gau

Hemacandra, Chandōnuśāsanam 2.135:

māttau gau śālinī ghaiḥ

Kedārabhaṭṭa, Vr̥ttaratnākaraḥ 3.34:

śāliny uktā mtau tagau gō ’bdhilōkaiḥ

Examples

Kirātārjunīyam 18.24

This example was recited by H. V. Nagaraja Rao and recorded by Gil Ben-Herut in 2006. The translation is by Indira Peterson, from her book Arjuna and the Hunter.

saṁsēvantē dānaśīlā vimuktya sampaśyantō janmaduḥkhaṁ pumāṁsaḥ yanniḥsaṅgas tvaṁ phalasyānatēbhyas tat kāruṇyaṁ kēvalaṁ na svakāryam

Men who know the pain of birth and death
worship you, cultivating deeds of good will;
they want to attain liberation.
But here is a wonder: you, whose nature
transcends all worldly attachments,
fulfill your devotees’ desires out of pure compassion,
without not a tinge of self-interest!