Gatha (India)

This article is about the Sanskrit and Prakrit verses. For the sacred hymns of Zarathushtra, see Gathas.

Gāthā is a Sanskrit term for 'song' or 'verse', especially referring to any poetic metre which is used in legends or folklores, and is not part of the Vedas but peculiar to either Epic Sanskrit or to Prakrit.^[1] The word is originally derived from the Sanskrit/Prakrit root gai, which means 'to speak, sing, recite or extol', cognate to the Avestan term gatha.^[2]

The stanzas of the Prakrit dialects of Ardhamagadhi, Sauraseni and Pāli are known as gathas as opposed to shlokas and sutras of Sanskrit and dohas of Apabhramsha. Most of the Jain and Buddhist texts written in Prakrit are composed of gathas (or verses/stanzas).

Thus, gatha can mean any Prakrit and Pali verses in general,^[3] or specifically the arya meter of Sanskrit; versified portions of Pāli Canon (Tipitaka) of Theravāda Buddhism are also specifically called gathas.

In contemporary Buddhist practice as popularized (and derived from the Zen and Theravādin traditions) by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, a gatha is a verse recited (usually mentally, not aloud) in rhythm with the breath as part of mindfulness practice, either in daily life,^[4][5] or as part of meditation or meditative study.^[6]

See also

• Dhammapada
• Early Buddhist texts
• Gandhāran Buddhist texts
• Gatha Saptashati
• Jain Agamas
• Jain Prakrit
• Pāli Canon
• Vedic meter

References

1. Sujit Mukherjee (1998), A Dictionary of Indian Literature Hyderabad: Orient Longman ISBN 81-250-1453-5 page 110
2. Amaresh Datta (1988) Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 2 Chennai: Sahitya Academy ISBN 81-260-1194-7 p. 1373
3. Amaresh Datta (1988) Encyclopaedia of Indian literature vol. 2 Chennai: Sahitya Academy ISBN 81-260-1194-7 p. 1374
4. Hanh, Thich Nhat (1997). Stepping Into Freedom. Parallax Press. ISBN 1-888375-02-7.
5. Weiss, Andrew (February 4, 2004). Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness. New World Library. ISBN 978-1577314417.
6. The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation Exercises for Healing and Transformation, by Thich Nhat Hanh, (Beacon Press, Boston, MA USA 1993) ISBN 0-8070-1222-X

Gatha baani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Page 1360-61