Usefulness of Learning Prosody

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viriya424
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Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 6:03 pm

Usefulness of Learning Prosody

Post by viriya424 »

Hi everyone,

Recently after completing a review of my general knowledge of Pali I decided to have a look at the prosody of the early texts. I have always liked gāthās and regularly memorize and recite them, especially those from the Suttanipāta.

However, I have begun to wonder what is the use of knowing about the meter of a verse, especially if my main concern is it's Dhamma content and not so much scholarly considerations. For example I know it is useful to tell which verses are later, but that to me wouldn't be enough motivation to go deep into it.

I'd like to hear your opinions.
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Dhammanando
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Re: Usefulness of Learning Prosody

Post by Dhammanando »

In traditional monastic education the study of chandalakṣaṇa serves two main purposes.

The first is to make a monk competent to decide between variant readings in Pali verse works by considering which of the variants best fits the metre, or even proposing tentative readings that are not found in any extant editions at all. This then allows him to do the kind of work that's been done by the likes of K.R. Norman and Ven. Ānandajoti, namely, producing high quality critical editions of works like the Dhammapada and Suttanipāta, and translations based on the same.

The second is to enable the monk to compose versified works of his own.

If you email Ānandajoti (or contact him on Facebook) he may be able to offer you some further reasons.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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viriya424
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Re: Usefulness of Learning Prosody

Post by viriya424 »

Thanks for the reply, Bhante.
Dhammanando wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:36 am In traditional monastic education the study of chandalakṣaṇa serves two main purposes.

The first is to make a monk competent to decide between variant readings in Pali verse works by considering which of the variants best fits the metre, or even proposing tentative readings that are not found in any extant editions at all. This then allows him to do the kind of work that's been done by the likes of K.R. Norman and Ven. Ānandajoti, namely, producing high quality critical editions of works like the Dhammapada and Suttanipāta, and translations based on the same.

The second is to enable the monk to compose versified works of his own.
I could have foreseen the first reason, but I'm surprised by the second one. I didn't know that was done.
Dhammanando wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:36 am If you email Ānandajoti (or contact him on Facebook) he may be able to offer you some further reasons.
Great suggestion, I will try and see what he has to say.
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Dhammanando
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Re: Usefulness of Learning Prosody

Post by Dhammanando »

viriya424 wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 2:45 am I could have foreseen the first reason, but I'm surprised by the second one. I didn't know that was done.
I think it's rare nowadays for monks to compose an entire work in Pali verse, but it's very common for Asian scholar monks to compose a Pali verse preface and colophon to any works that they intend for publication. If it's a critical edition of an ancient text then it's virtually obligatory to do so in order to assure the reader that you're qualified for the task.

Also, in Thailand if you're the resident poet monk in one of the royal monasteries, then you'll occasionally be called upon to compose funerary verse, epithalamia and other kinds of pièce d'occasion connected with the doings of the royal family and the Sangharāja.
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
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