Shloka 9

Chandas-Nirṇaya: Āpīḍa to Gāthā—Pāda, Gaṇa, and Special Substitutions

Devanagari script

(इत्युपस्थितप्रचुपितप्रकरणम्) / विषमाक्षरपादं वा पञ्चषट्कादि यावकम् / छन्दो ऽत्र नोक्ता गाथेति दशधर्ंमादिवद्भवेत्

Transliteration

(ityupasthitapracupitaprakaraṇam) / viṣamākṣarapādaṃ vā pañcaṣaṭkādi yāvakam / chando 'tra noktā gātheti daśadharṃmādivadbhavet

Translation

(Ainsi s’achève la section sur les types métriques appelés Upasthita, Pracupita et Prakaraṇa.) Si le vers présente un compte de syllabes inégal dans ses quarts, ou s’il s’étend selon des mesures de cinq ou six (et ainsi de suite), alors—lorsque son mètre précis n’est pas indiqué ici—il faut le comprendre comme une « Gāthā », comme dans des passages tels que le « Daśa-dharma » (les dix dharma) et des compositions similaires.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः

• upasthita-pracupita-prakaraṇam: the section on Upasthita and Pracupita
• upasthita-pracupita-prakaraṇam: Adhikarana (Section heading/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upasthita (कृदन्त) + pracupita (कृदन्त/परिभाषा) + prakaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उपस्थितप्रचुपितयोः प्रकरणम्)

• viṣama-akṣara-pādam: a pāda with unequal syllables
• viṣama-akṣara-pādam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣama (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (विषमाक्षरः पादः)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• pañca-ṣaṭka-ādi: beginning with five and six (etc.)
• pañca-ṣaṭka-ādi: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या) + ṣaṭka (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चषट्कादि = five-, six- etc.)

• yāvakam: up to whatever extent
• yāvakam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvaka (प्रातिपदिक; परिमाणवाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; परिमाणवाचक (as far as/upto)

• chandaḥ: metre
• chandaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• uktā: stated/mentioned
• uktā: Karma (Predicate adjective/कर्मसंज्ञा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त, √vac वचने; past passive participle)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• gāthā: gāthā (a type of verse)
• gāthā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• iti: as (called)
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative)

• daśa-dharma-ādi-vat: like (the metre) Daśadharma etc.
• daśa-dharma-ādi-vat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; तद्धितान्त ‘-वत्’ (like); तत्पुरुष-समास (दशधर्मादिवत् = like ‘Daśadharma’ etc.)

• bhavet: would be/become
• bhavet: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Hermeneutic rule for metre identification: if pādas are viṣama (uneven syllables) or measures vary (pañca-ṣaṭka etc.) and metre is unstated, treat it as ‘Gāthā’.

Vedantic Theme: Orderly categorization (saṅgraha) to preserve transmission; śāstra as a tool for clarity in teaching dharma.

Application: When editing/reciting, classify irregular verses as gāthā to avoid forced scansion; useful for manuscript collation and chanting practice.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.211.6-8 (preceding metrical prescriptions); Garuda Purana 1.212.1 (next chapter begins with prastāra/naṣṭa methods)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of ‘Gāthā’ in the Garuda Purana?

This verse says that when a verse has uneven syllables or variable length and its exact metre is not specified, it is to be treated as a ‘Gāthā’, giving readers a practical rule for classification and recitation.

How does this verse help in understanding Garuda Purana chanting or study?

It provides a technical guideline: if the prosodic label is missing, identify the verse by its structure (uneven pādas or five/six-count patterns) and recite/interpret it under the general category ‘Gāthā’.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When studying or digitizing Garuda Purana verses, mark structurally irregular metres as ‘Gāthā’ if no metre-name is given—useful for accurate chanting guides, searchable archives, and clean text annotation.