Correct method / chandah for sutra chanting

[Omkaarnath 0]

Namaskar to all!

 

What is the right metre for chanting sutras? I have been trying to find out, but have not succesfully found any net sources telling the principles.

 

When I'm listening to Patanjali Yoga sutra chanted by Pandit S.T. Nagaraj, I notice that the entire sutra is chanted from the basic level, and then the 4th syllable before the end of each sutra is raised (is that called udatta?), the folloving syllable is unraised, the following is lowered and the last one or two syllables are unraised. Thus: Yogaścitta vṛtti nirodhaḥ, when breaked to syllables would be yo-ga-ści-tta vṛ-tti ni-ro-dha-ḥ and when chanted by Pandit Nagaraji, he chants it in the following way yogaścittavṛttiNI_ro_dhaḥ, where the NI syllable is raised and the _ro_ is lowered, and the last syllable, as well as the visarga are unraised (=normal), coming from the same tone as all the syllables in the beginning of the sutra until NI.

 

But this does not seem to be constant. Sometimes after the raised, the following syllable is unraised, then comes one lowered, and then again the last syllable is unraised, like in yoGAnu_śā_sanam.

 

So what is the rule here? What is the right way? Is there some hidden logic which I have yet been unable to realize? Can aynone point me to some further reading on theis matter?

 

-Ac. Omkarnath