PROSODY means the study of poetry. In Sanskrit it is called Chandas or Vruttam.
The earliest and most important work in Sanskrit Prosdy is the Pingala's Chandas-Sastram, attributed to the sage Pingala, which consists of Sutras or aphorisms distributed over eight books.
The AgniPurana also gives a complete system of prosody founded apparently on Pingala's. Several other original treatises have likewise been composed by various authors, such as the Sruthabodha, VrittaRatnakara, VrutthaKaumudi, ChandoManjari etc.,
Sanskrit composition may be in the form of Gadya or Prose, Padya or Poetry expressed in the form of stanzas.
A stanza or Padya is a combination of four Padaas or quarters (line, foot, stanza) which are regulated by either the number of Aksharam or Varna or syllable, or by the number of Maathraas or syllabic instants.
A Padya is a Vruttha or Jathi.
A Vruttha is a stanza the metre of which is regualted by the number and position of syllables in each Paada or quarter. (VarnaVruttham)
A Jaathi is a stanza the metre of which is regulated by the number of syllabic instants in each quarter. (MaathraaVruttham)
Vrutthas are divided into three classes:1. SamaVruttham in which all the four Paadaas or quarters composing the stanza are all similar; 2. ArdhaSamaVruttham in which the alternate quarters are similar and 3. VishamaVruttham in which the quarters are all dissimilar.
