Gatha is a type of metered and often rhythmic poetic verse or a phrase in the ancient Indian languages of Prakrit and Sanskrit. The word is originally derived from the Sanskrit/Prakrit root gai, which means, to speak, sing, recite or extol. Hence gatha can mean either speech, verse or a song. 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.

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  • Gatha is a type of metered and often rhythmic poetic verse or a phrase in the ancient Indian languages of Prakrit and Sanskrit. The word is originally derived from the Sanskrit/Prakrit root gai, which means, to speak, sing, recite or extol. Hence gatha can mean either speech, verse or a song. 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 of the following: Prakrit and Pali verses in general, or: Arya meter of Sanskrit was also know as gatha, A particular meter in Prakrit similar to arya meter of Sanskrit, Versified portions of Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism are also called specifically as gathas. gatha perhaps has survived in the present hindi urdu word katha = story.
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  • Gathas
  • the Sanskrit and Prakrit verses
  • the sacred hymns of Zarathushtra
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  • Gatha is a type of metered and often rhythmic poetic verse or a phrase in the ancient Indian languages of Prakrit and Sanskrit. The word is originally derived from the Sanskrit/Prakrit root gai, which means, to speak, sing, recite or extol. Hence gatha can mean either speech, verse or a song. 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.
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  • Gatha
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