Anushtubh

By far the most widely used meter in
Sanskrit poetry, composed of two
lines of sixteen syllables each with
eight syllables per half line. The metric
pattern for each half line is based on
the distinction between “heavy” and
“light” syllables. A heavy syllable is any
syllable with a long vowel or consonant cluster; all other syllables are
light. According to the prescribed pattern, the fifth syllable of each half line
should be light, the sixth heavy, and
the seventh alternately heavy and
light. The anushtubh’s simplicity
makes it the meter of choice for many
religious texts, including much of the
Bhagavad Gita.