Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

दशस्वरैर्वंशपत्रपतितं भ्रौन्नभा लगौ / षड्वेदाश्वैश्च हरिणी नसमा रसला गुरुः

Transliteration

daśasvarairvaṃśapatrapatitaṃ bhraunnabhā lagau / ṣaḍvedāśvaiśca hariṇī nasamā rasalā guruḥ

Translation

Con diez vocales, con letras cual hojas de bambú caídas en orden, con las medidas llamadas bhrau, nna, bhā, la, gau; y con los seis Vedas como caballos—esto es Hariṇī. No tiene igual; rebosa de rasa y es grave y autorizada, como un guru.

Word by Word

• दशस्वरैः: with ten syllables/notes
• दशस्वरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (दश + स्वर)

• वंशपत्रपतितम्: fallen from a bamboo leaf
• वंशपत्रपतितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पतित (कृदन्त; √पत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘पतित’; समासः (वंशस्य पत्रम् → वंशपत्र; तस्मात् पतितम्)

• भ्रौ: (metre-name marker) bhrau
• भ्रौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (छन्दः-गणसूचक-शब्दः)

• उन्नभाः: (metre-name marker) unnabhā-s
• उन्नभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उन्नभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (छन्दः-गणसूचक-शब्दः)

• लगौ: (metre-name marker) lagau (two lags)
• लगौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लगु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (छन्दः-गणसूचक-शब्दः)

• षड्वेदाश्वैः: with six Vedas and horses (as a metrical count-marker)
• षड्वेदाश्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (षड् + वेद + अश्व)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• नसमाः: nasamā-s (metrical groups)
• नसमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नसम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (छन्दः-गणसूचक-शब्दः)

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

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

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śāstra-prāmāṇya through precise phonetic/prosodic order; disciplined speech as a vehicle of meaning and rasa.

Vedantic Theme: Vāk as a disciplined instrument (śabda-pramāṇa); respect for guru/śāstra as a means to right knowledge.

Application: Use correct vowel-counts, gaṇas, and mātrā-measures when composing/reciting; treat chandas as ‘guru’—authoritative and to be mastered with care.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209 (prosody/gaṇa-metre catalogue context); Nearby verses listing metres and gaṇa-markers (1.209.31–34)

Characters & Entities

• Vedas

FAQs

What is the importance of Hariṇī in the Garuda Purana?

Here Hariṇī is praised as an unequalled, rasa-filled and authoritative metrical form, implying that correct chandas (prosody) is valued for faithful transmission and effective sacred recitation.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings?

Although the Garuda Purana is famous for afterlife and ritual sections, it also preserves dharmic learning tools like chandas; this verse highlights disciplined sound-structure (vowels/units) as part of sacred knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When chanting or studying scripture, prioritize correct pronunciation and metre—learning the vowel system and basic chandas helps preserve meaning, improves memorization, and supports respectful ritual recitation.