Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

इत्येताश्छन्दसां संज्ञाः प्रस्ताराद्भेदभागिकाः । पादे सर्वगुरौ पूर्वील्लघुं स्थाप्य गुरोरधः ॥ १४ ॥

Transliteration

ityetāśchandasāṃ saṃjñāḥ prastārādbhedabhāgikāḥ | pāde sarvagurau pūrvīllaghuṃ sthāpya guroradhaḥ || 14 ||

Translation

Ainsi, ces désignations techniques des mètres proviennent du prastāra (déploiement systématique du mètre) et de leurs divisions respectives. Dans un pāda entièrement lourd (sarva-guru), on doit placer une syllabe légère (laghu) en position antérieure, à la place d’une lourde (guru).

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• chandasām: of metres
• chandasām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chandas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• saṃjñāḥ: names/technical terms
• saṃjñāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• prastārāt: from the prastāra (metrical expansion)
• prastārāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prastāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• bheda-bhāgikāḥ: having divisions/variants
• bheda-bhāgikāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāgika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with implied ‘(they are)’; Tatpuruṣa: ‘having/consisting of divisions’

• pāde: in a quarter (of a verse)
• pāde: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarva-gurau: when (the pāda is) all-guru (all heavy syllables)
• sarva-gurau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya: ‘all-heavy’

• pūrvīḥ: the earlier (ones)/previous (rows)
• pūrvīḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• laghum: a light syllable
• laghum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sthāpya: having placed
• sthāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthāpya (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्राय)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (ल्यप्-कृदन्त), ‘having placed’

• guroḥ: of the heavy (syllable)
• guroḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• adhaḥ: below/under
• adhaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It preserves the Vedāṅga discipline of Chandas—accurate metre safeguards correct Vedic recitation, which is treated as a support for dharma and higher spiritual pursuit.

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

Indirectly: by emphasizing precision in sacred sound and recitation, it supports disciplined study and chanting, which can become an aid to devotion even though the verse itself is technical.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas/Vedāṅga prosody: it references prastāra (enumeration of metrical patterns) and the practical rule of adjusting guru–laghu placement within a pāda for classification or derivation.