Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

Chandas: Varṇa-gaṇas, Guru-Laghu, Vṛtta-bheda, and Prastāra Procedures

Devanagari script

मयौ रसौ तजौ भनौ गुरुर्लघुरपिद्विज । कारणं छंदसि प्रोक्ताश्छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

mayau rasau tajau bhanau gururlaghurapidvija | kāraṇaṃ chaṃdasi proktāśchandaḥśāstraviśāradaiḥ || 2 ||

Translation

‘Ma’ y ‘ya’, ‘ra’ y ‘sa’, ‘ta’ y ‘ja’, y ‘bha’ y ‘na’—e incluso ‘guru’ y ‘laghu’, oh dos veces nacido—son los términos técnicos (kāraṇas) del metro, según lo proclaman los versados en el chandas-śāstra, la ciencia de la prosodia.

Word by Word

• मयौ: the ‘ma-ya’ gaṇa (mnemonic)
• मयौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म-य (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; गण-नाम (metre mnemonic)

• रसौ: the ‘ra-sa’ gaṇa
• रसौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: र-स (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• तजौ: the ‘ta-ja’ gaṇa
• तजौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त-ज (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• भनौ: the ‘bha-na’ gaṇa
• भनौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ-न (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• गुरुः: a heavy syllable (guru)
• गुरुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लघुः: a light syllable (laghu)
• लघुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (also/indeed)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the reason/cause
• कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन

• छन्दसि: in metre (prosody)
• छन्दसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: are declared
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘said/declared’

• छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः: by experts in the science of prosody
• छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दः-शास्त्र-विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समास: छन्दःशास्त्रे विशारदाः (locative/adhikaraṇa-tatpurusha sense)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing ‘dvija’ as the listener)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Narada

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It sanctifies disciplined study of Vedāṅga—especially chandas—as a legitimate support for Vedic learning, showing that precise knowledge of sacred sound-structure is part of the broader pursuit of dharma and mokṣa.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Indirectly: by validating correct recitation and metrical understanding, it supports accurate chanting and transmission of hymns and stotras—key practical foundations for sustained Vishnu-bhakti and scriptural devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas Vedāṅga: the metrical ‘kāraṇas’ (technical markers) such as the gaṇa labels (ma, ya, ra, sa, ta, ja, bha, na) and syllable-weights (guru/laghu) used to analyze and compose Sanskrit metres.