Shloka 4

Āryā-Chandas Lakṣaṇa; Gīti-Bheda; Vaitālīya-Vaktra; Mātrā-to-Varṇa Transition

Devanagari script

आर्या प्रथमार्धलक्ष्म गीतिः स्याच्चेद्दलद्वये / उपगीतिर्द्वितीयार्धादुद्गीतिर्व्यत्ययाद्भवेत्

Transliteration

āryā prathamārdhalakṣma gītiḥ syācceddaladvaye / upagītirdvitīyārdhādudgītirvyatyayādbhavet

Translation

If, in both halves (dalas), the Āryā metre bears the characteristic pattern of the first half, it is called Gīti. If it follows the pattern of the second half, it is called Upagīti; and if the patterns are interchanged, it becomes Udgīti.

Word by Word

• आर्या: Āryā (metre)
• आर्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रथमार्धलक्ष्म: marked by the first half
• प्रथमार्धलक्ष्म: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मन्/लक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘having the mark of the first half’)

• गीतिः: Gīti (metre)
• गीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/is said to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• दलद्वये: in the two sections
• दलद्वये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दल (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (‘in the two halves/sections’)

• उपगीतिः: Upagīti (metre)
• उपगीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + गीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘Upagīti’)

• द्वितीयार्धात्: from the second half
• द्वितीयार्धात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘from the second half’)

• उद्गीतिः: Udgīti (metre)
• उद्गीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद् (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + गीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘Udgīti’)

• व्यत्ययात्: from inversion/interchange
• व्यत्ययात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (instructing Garuda on śāstra and chandas/prosody)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bheda-jñāna: naming metrical subtypes by whether both halves follow first-half lakṣaṇa, second-half lakṣaṇa, or are interchanged.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa ordering: assigning names based on observed structure; clarity through classification.

Application: When scanning an Āryā verse, compare both dalas: if both mirror first-half pattern → gīti; both mirror second-half → upagīti; swapped → udgīti.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.208.3 (capalā/āryā-jāti lakṣaṇa); Garuda Purana 1.208.5 (further lakṣaṇas and related metres)

Characters & Entities

• Āryā
• Gīti
• Upagīti
• Udgīti

FAQs

What is the importance of Āryā metre classifications (Gīti, Upagīti, Udgīti) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves technical rules for recognizing sub-types of the Āryā metre, helping readers recite, scan, and transmit Purāṇic verses accurately.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the soul’s journey; it is a chandas (prosody) rule defining how Āryā-based metres are named by half-patterns and their interchange.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it to correctly scan and chant Āryā verses: check each half’s defining pattern—first-half pattern in both halves is Gīti, second-half pattern is Upagīti, and swapped halves indicate Udgīti.