Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

छन्दो ह्यतिधृतिः प्रोक्तमत ऊर्ध्वं कृतिर्भवेत् / सप्ताश्वर्तुः सुवदना भ्रौ मनौ यभला गुरुः

Transliteration

chando hyatidhṛtiḥ proktamata ūrdhvaṃ kṛtirbhavet / saptāśvartuḥ suvadanā bhrau manau yabhalā guruḥ

Translation

In prosody, this metre is said to be Atidhṛti; above it comes Kṛti. Its pattern is “seven horses” (the syllabic count), the “beautiful-faced” arrangement; in the two pādas the sequence is “ya-bha-la,” and the closing syllable is heavy, that is, guru.

Word by Word

• छन्दः: metre/prosody
• छन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: ‘indeed/for’)

• अतिधृतिः: Atidhṛti (metre)
• अतिधृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + धृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (अतिधृतिः) (छन्दः-नाम)

• प्रोक्तम्: declared/said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः ‘said/declared’

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात् (therefore)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: above/thereafter
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, दिशावाचक (adverb: ‘upwards/thereafter’)

• कृतिः: Kṛti (metre)
• कृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (छन्दः-नाम)

• भवेत्: may be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सप्ताश्वर्तुः: of the seven-horses-season (count-marker)
• सप्ताश्वर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (सप्त + अश्व) + ऋतु-सम्बन्धः (count-marker)

• सुवदना: Suvadanā (metre/name)
• सुवदना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं वदनं यस्याः/सु-वदना) (छन्दः-नाम/सूचक)

• भ्रौ: bhrau (metrical marker)
• भ्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (गणसूचक)

• मनौ: manau (two ‘manu’ groups)
• मनौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (गणसूचक)

• यभलाः: yabhalā-s (metrical groups)
• यभलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यभल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (गणसूचक)

• गुरुः: heavy (guru syllable)
• गुरुः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (prosodic ‘heavy’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hierarchical classification of metres and precise rule-giving for their syllabic/gaṇa structure.

Vedantic Theme: Rule-governed speech as a support for clarity (sattva) and transmission; śabda as a disciplined pramāṇa.

Application: When scanning/composing Atidhṛti/Kṛti, apply the stated gaṇa sequence (ya-bha-la) in the pādas and ensure the cadence ends in guru (heavy syllable).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209.31–33 (preceding metre lists and gaṇa markers); Atidhṛti/Kṛti definitions within the same chandas section

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of chandas (metre) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows that the text preserves formal prosodic rules—naming metres like Atidhṛti and Kṛti and indicating gaṇa patterns—helping correct recitation and transmission.

How does this verse explain the structure of the metre?

It identifies the metre (Atidhṛti, then Kṛti) and gives its technical markers: a seven-count mnemonic and a gaṇa sequence ‘ya-bha-la’ with a guru (heavy) ending.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the gaṇa and guru/laghu cues to scan the verse correctly, aiding accurate chanting, memorization, and reliable digital annotation of Garuda Purana metres.