Shloka 13

Āryā-Chandas Lakṣaṇa; Gīti-Bheda; Vaitālīya-Vaktra; Mātrā-to-Varṇa Transition

Devanagari script

नवमलस्तथा गो ऽन्त्यः जो न्लौवाथाम्बुधेर्यथा / विश्लोकः स्यात्तच्चतुष्कद्विगुणाद्वानवासिका

Transliteration

navamalastathā go 'ntyaḥ jo nlauvāthāmbudheryathā / viślokaḥ syāttaccatuṣkadviguṇādvānavāsikā

Translation

നവമ (പദം/ഗണം) അവസാന ‘ഗോ’ എന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു; ‘ജോ-ന്ലൗ’ സമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ മാനപ്രകാരം എണ്ണപ്പെടുന്നു. ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്ലോകം സിദ്ധമാകുന്നു; നാലിന്റെ കൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ ഇരട്ടിയിൽ നിന്ന് ‘വാനവാസികാ’ എന്ന ഛന്ദോരൂപം ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

नवमलःthe ninth (named) ‘mala’/syllable-marker

तथाthus, likewise

गो‘go’ (the syllable/marker ‘go’ / cow)

अन्त्यःfinal, last

जः‘ja’ (letter-name)

न्लौ‘nlau’ (phonetic cluster/marker)

वाor

अथthen, next

अम्बुधेःof the ocean

यथाas, like

विश्लोकःthe metre ‘viśloka’

स्यात्would be, should be

तत्that

चतुष्कद्विगुणात्from the double of a tetrad (four-unit)

वाor

अनवासिका(the metre) ‘anavāsikā’

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Chandas/varna-mātrā reckoning: enumerative rules yield a defined recitational metre (vānavāsikā).

Vedantic Theme: Śāstra-pramāṇa (authority of systematic knowledge) as a means to right practice.

Application: Use the stated counting rule (double of a four-unit set) to identify/compose the vānavāsikā pattern during recitation or textual study.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.208 (chandas/mātrā-vicāra context; adjacent verses on Citrā/Padākulaka and guru-laghu standards)

Characters & Entities

Vishnu

Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of chandas (meter) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse indicates that the text also preserves rules for forming and recognizing verse-structures, helping ensure accurate recitation and transmission.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey; rather, it focuses on the technical structure of verses used to convey teachings elsewhere in the Garuda Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to chant with care—pay attention to syllable groupings and metrical integrity when reciting Garuda Purana passages in ritual contexts.