tripadi

The tripadi consists of three lines, each differing from the others in the number of feet and moras (Sanskrit matras),{{Harvnb|Kittel|1875|p=98}}, {{Harvnb|Narasimhia|1941|p=383}} but in accordance with the following rules:

• The first line has 4 feet, each with 5 moras, and a caesura at the end of the second foot.
• The 6th and 10th feet of the tripadi are each required to have the metrical pattern of a Brahma foot:

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

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

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

Line 1 20 moras in four feet

Line 2 17 moras in four feet

Line 3 13 moras in three feet.

• There is alliteration of the second letter of each line.

An example, of a possible scansion (metrical structure) of a tripadi, is given in {{Harv|Kittel|1875|p=98}}, where it is also stressed that it is not the form of the moras, but the number that is important. (Here * denotes a caesura)

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile\; \backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 1\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 2\}\}\; \backslash star\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 3\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{-\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 4\}\}$ (Line 1: 20 moras in 4 feet)

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile\; \backslash smile\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 5\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash underbrace\{--\}\_\{\backslash mathrm\{Brahma\}\}\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; VI\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 7\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 8\}\}$ (Line 2: 17 moras in 4 feet)

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile\; \backslash smile\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 9\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash underbrace\{--\}\_\{\backslash mathrm\{Brahma\}\}\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; X\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 11\}\}\; ||$ (Line 3: 13 moras in 3 feet)

Another example {{Harv|Kittel|1875|p=99}} is:

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile-\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 1\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{--\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 2\}\}\; \backslash star\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile-\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 3\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{-\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 4\}\}$ (Line 1: 20 moras in 4 feet)

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile\; \backslash smile\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 5\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash underbrace\{-\backslash smile\}\_\{\backslash mathrm\{Brahma\}\}\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; VI\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile-\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 7\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{-\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 8\}\}$ (Line 2: 17 moras in 4 feet)

$\backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\; \backslash smile\; -\backslash smile\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 9\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash underbrace\{-\backslash smile\}\_\{\backslash mathrm\{Brahma\}\}\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; X\}\}\; |\; \backslash overbrace\{\backslash smile\backslash smile\backslash smile-\}^\{\backslash mathrm\{Foot\; 11\}\}\; ||$ (Line 3: 13 moras in 3 feet)

A well-known example of the tripadi is the third stanza in the inscription of Kappe Arabhatta (here the symbol | denotes the end of a line, and ||, the end of the tripadi): {{quotation|Sādhuge^1a Sādhu^1b mādhuryange^1c mādhuryam^1d |
bādhippa^1e kalige^2a kaliyuga^2b viparītan^2b |
mādhavan^2c ītan^2d peran^2e alla^2f ||}}

The literal translation of the tripadi is:{{Harvnb|Narasimhia|1941|pp=346, 329, 323, 295, 286, 320, 278}} {{quotation|To the good people,^1a good;^1b to the sweet,^1c sweetness;^1d |
causing distress^1e

to the kali age,^2a an exceptional man in Kaliyuga,^2b |
Madhava (or Vishnu)^2c this man,^2d another^2e is not^2f||}}

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

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Citation | last = Kittel | first = Ferdinand | authorlink = Ferdinand Kittel | title = Nāgavarma's Canarese Prosody | year = 1875 | publisher = Mangalore: Basel Mission Book and Tract Depository. Pp. 104. (Reprinted, (1988) New Delhi: Asian Educational Services. Pp. 160)|isbn = 81-206-0367-2 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=75FVAV4ge6EC}}
• {{Citation| last = Narasimhia | first = A. N. | title = A Grammar of the Oldest Kanarese Inscriptions (including a study of the Sanskrit and Prakrit loan words | year = 1941 | publisher = Originally published: Mysore: University of Mysore. Pp. 375. Reprinted in 2007: Read Books. Pp. 416 |isbn = 1-4067-6568-6 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LvkODkXF2-AC}}

Category:Kannada literature

Category:Kannada grammar

Category:Literature of Karnataka