Untitled

edit

Dict-def entries removed here; none of them currently suggests an article that should be titled "Pada (....)", but perhaps they will inspire something.

The Sanskrit term pada (pāda "foot"):

  • in Sanskrit poetic meter (chandas), a quarter of a full verse (the foot of a quadruped being one out of four), e.g. a shloka of 24 syllables consists of four padas of 6 syllables.
  • The term may also refer to the division of a text into four quarters; e.g. the eight chapters of the Astadhyayi are divided into four padas each.
  • In traditional Sanskit grammar (Vyakarana), pāda is the term for "word", in the Astadhyayi defined as suP-tiṄ-antam pādam " a string ending with either a nominal or a verbal desinence is called pāda (word)".
  • As a measure, it equals 12 angulas, see Hindu units of measurement. not mentioned there.
  • A padapatha is a word-by-word variant of a Vedic text, and the name of the associated Vedic chant or mode of recitation.