# Tripadi

Tripadi (Kannada, lit. tri: three, pad or "adi": feet) is a native metre in the Kannada language dating back to c. 700 CE.

## Definition

The tripadi consists of three lines, each differing from the others in the number of feet and moras (Sanskrit matras), 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:
$-\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 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.

## Metrical structure

An example, of a possible scansion (metrical structure) of a tripadi, is given in (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)
$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot1} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot2} }\star \overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot3} }|\overbrace {-\smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot4} }$ (Line 1: 20 moras in 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: 17 moras in 4 feet)
$\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile \smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot9} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {--} _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootX} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot11} }||$ (Line 3: 13 moras in 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: 20 moras in 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: 17 moras in 4 feet)
$\overbrace {\smile \smile -\smile } ^{\mathrm {Foot9} }|\overbrace {\underbrace {-\smile } _{\mathrm {Brahma} }} ^{\mathrm {FootX} }|\overbrace {\smile \smile \smile -} ^{\mathrm {Foot11} }||$ (Line 3: 13 moras in 3 feet)

## Example

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):
   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:
   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$^{2f}$||