feminine a verse, stanza, line of poetry, usually referring to an Anuṭṭhubbaṃ or a Tuṭṭhubbaṃ, & called a catuppādā gāthā, a stanza (śloka) of four half-lines AN.ii.178; Ja.iv.395 Def. as akkhara-padaniya-mita-ganthita-vacanaṃ at Kp-a.117. For a riddle on the word see SN.i.38. As a style of composition it is one of the nine Angas or divisions of the Canon (see navanga Satthu sāsana). Pl gāthā Snp.429; Ja.ii.160; gāthāyo Vin.i.5, Vin.i.349; DN.ii.157 gāthāya ajjhābhāsati to address with a verse Vin.i.36 Vin.i.38; Kp v. intr
■ gāthāhi anumodati to thank with (these) lines Vin.i.222, Vin.i.230, Vin.i.246, Vin.i.294, etc
■ gāthāyo gīyamāna uttering the lines Vin.i.38
■ anantaragāthā the foll. stanza Ja.iv.142; Snp.251; Ja.i.280; Dhp.102 (˚sataṃ).
- -abhigīta gained by verses SN.i.167 = Snp.81, Snp.480 (gāthāyo bhāsitvā laddhaṃ Com. cp. Ger. “ersungen”)
- -āvasāne after the stanza has been ended Dhp-a.iii.171
- -jānanaka one who knows verses Anvs. p. 35;
- -dvaya (nt.) a pair of stanzas Ja.iii.395 sq.; Pv-a.29, Pv-a.40;
- -pada a half line of a gāthā Dhp.101; Kp-a.123;
- -sukhattaṃ in order to have a well-sounding line, metri causā, Pv-a.33.
Vedic gāthā, on dern see gāyate