Laghu and Guru — Light and Heavy Syllables
Chandas Shastra (Pingala) · 1 · Verse 2
chhandalaghugurusyllablematraprosody-basics
Sanskrit Original
ह्रस्वो लघुः, गुरु दीर्घः। संयोगपूर्वश्च गुरुः, विसर्गपूर्वश्च। पादान्ते गुरुर्भवेत् — इति नियमः॥
hrasvo laghuḥ, guru dīrghaḥ | saṃyogapūrvaś ca guruḥ, visargapūrvaś ca | pādānte gurur bhavet — iti niyamaḥ ||
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A short vowel syllable is Laghu (light = 1 mātrā). A long vowel is Guru (heavy = 2 mātrās). Also Guru: a syllable followed by a conjunct consonant or a Visarga. At the end of a metrical quarter (Pāda), the syllable is always Guru. This binary distinction (L/G, or la/ga in Piṅgala's notation) is the foundation of all Sanskrit prosody.