Composed of two lines of sixteen syllables each with eight syllables each half line, this is by far the most frequently employed meter in Sanskrit poetry.
- Each half line's metric pattern is based on the difference between "heavy" and "light" syllables. Any syllable with a lengthy vowel or consonant cluster is considered heavy; all other syllables are considered light.
- Each half line's fifth syllable should be light, the sixth heavy, and the seventh alternatively heavy and light, according to the pattern.
Many religious writings, including most of the Bhagavad Gita, use the anushtubh because of its simplicity.
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