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Shloka 1

Nāmāṣṭottara-dviśata: Gaṇa–Chandas–Yati Catalogue and Mnemonic Coding

Devanagari script

नामाष्टोत्तरद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / श्रीरुक्था गेन सा ज्ञेया उत्युक्था स्त्री गुरुद्वयम् / मो नारी रो मृगी मध्या मगौ कन्या प्रतिष्ठया

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭottaradviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / śrīrukthā gena sā jñeyā utyukthā strī gurudvayam / mo nārī ro mṛgī madhyā magau kanyā pratiṣṭhayā

Translation

Sūta said: “This is the two-hundred-and-ninth chapter, the ‘Nāmāṣṭottara-dviśata.’ By the syllable ‘ge’ she is to be known as Śrī-rukthā, and by ‘sa’ as Utyukthā. ‘Strī’ indicates the pair of gurus. ‘Mo’ denotes a woman; ‘ro’ a doe (female deer). ‘Madhyā’ (the middle one) is ‘magau’; and ‘kanyā’ (maiden) is spoken of with ‘pratiṣṭhā’ (establishment).”

Word by Word
नामname/title
नाम:
Sambandha (Apposition/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootनामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (शीर्षक/नामरूपेण)
अष्टोत्तरद्विशततमःtwo-hundred-and-eighth
अष्टोत्तरद्विशततमः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् (208th)
अध्यायःchapter
अध्यायः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
सूतःSūta
सूतः:
Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
श्रीरुक्थाŚrī-rukthā (a metrical name/term)
श्रीरुक्था:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्री (प्रातिपदिक) + रुक्था (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रीरूपा रुक्था)
गेनby/with the gaṇa ‘ga’
गेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootग (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; छन्दोगण-निर्देशः (by the gaṇa ‘ga’)
साshe/that (metre)
सा:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
ज्ञेयाis to be known
ज्ञेया:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
Formविधेय-भूतकृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञेया’ = ‘to be known’
उत्and/also
उत्:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउत् (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/उपपद-अव्यय (particle)
युक्थाYukthā (a metrical name/term)
युक्था:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयुक्था (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; छन्दोनाम
स्त्रीwoman/feminine (term)
स्त्री:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
गुरुद्वयम्a pair of long syllables
गुरुद्वयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (two gurus = two long syllables)
मो‘mo’ (metrical marker)
मो:
Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootम (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; छन्दोगण-निर्देशः (‘mo’ gaṇa/marker)
नारीwoman
नारी:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनारी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
रो‘ro’ (metrical marker)
रो:
Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootर (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; छन्दोगण-निर्देशः (‘ro’ marker)
मृगीdoe
मृगी:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमृगी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
मध्याmiddle/slender-waisted
मध्या:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्
मगौ‘ma’ and ‘gau’ (metrical markers)
मगौ:
Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootम (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न) + गौ (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः (m + gau markers)
कन्याmaiden
कन्या:
Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
प्रतिष्ठयाwith establishment/steadiness
प्रतिष्ठया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mnemonic mapping of syllables/gaṇas and guru-dvaya (two long syllables) to named metrical patterns.

Vedantic Theme: Order (niyama) and intelligibility in language; śabda as a disciplined vehicle of meaning.

Application: Use the mnemonics (‘ge’, ‘sa’, ‘strī’, etc.) to identify gaṇa patterns and scan verses accurately.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209 (Nāmāṣṭottara-dviśata chapter on varṇa-vṛtta/gaṇa-nāma)

Characters & Entities
S
Sūta

FAQs

This verse functions like a chapter heading plus a technical mapping of syllables to specific name-forms/meanings, indicating a tradition of interpreting sacred names through phonetic components.

Unlike the preta/afterlife narrative sections, this verse is more lexical and mantra-like, focusing on name-interpretation and syllable-significations rather than Yama’s realm, punishments, or śrāddha rites.

It supports careful recitation and study of sacred names/mantras, encouraging practitioners to preserve correct syllables (akṣaras) and understand traditional glosses while chanting or reading.

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