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

（これにて Upasthita・Pracupita・Prakaraṇa の諸韻式の章は終わる。）もし各パーダの音節数が不均等であったり、五・六などの量にまで延びる場合で、ここにその固有の韻律名が説かれていないなら、それは「ガーター（Gāthā）」と理解すべきである。「ダシャ・ダルマ（十のダルマ）」等の章句と同様である。

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.