Shloka 26

Nāmāṣṭottara-dviśata: Gaṇa–Chandas–Yati Catalogue and Mnemonic Coding

Devanagari script

स्यान्मणिगुणनिकरो मालिनी ननमा ययौ / वसुस्वरयतिः स्याच्च नजौ भज्राः प्रभद्रकम्

Transliteration

syānmaṇiguṇanikaro mālinī nanamā yayau / vasusvarayatiḥ syācca najau bhajrāḥ prabhadrakam

Translation

‘സ്യാൻ’ മാണിക്യസദൃശ ഗുണങ്ങളുടെ നികരമായി വരുന്നു—ഇതാണ് ‘മാലിനീ’ ഛന്ദസ്. ‘നനമാ യയൗ’ എന്നും ‘വസു-സ്വര-യതി’ എന്നും അതുപോലെ നിർദ്ദേശിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. ‘നജൗ ഭജ്രാഃ’ എന്നത് ‘പ്രഭദ്രക’യെ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• स्यात्: should be / may be
• स्यात्: Vidhi (Injunctive/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मणिगुणनिकरः: (a metre) Maṇiguṇanikara
• मणिगुणनिकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि+गुण+निकर (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (मणीनां गुणानां निकरः/समूहः); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• मालिनी: (a metre) Mālinī
• मालिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मालिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• ननमा: bowed
• ननमा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ययौ: went
• ययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• वसुस्वरयतिः: (a metre) Vasusvarayati
• वसुस्वरयतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु+स्वर+यति (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (वसु-स्वर-यतिः; यतिशब्दः प्रधानः); स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• स्यात्: should be / may be
• स्यात्: Vidhi (Injunctive/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• नजौ: (metre-gana) na-jau
• नजौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नजौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचनान्त-रूपम्; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचनम् (छन्दोगणनाम)

• भज्राः: Bhajrā-s (a class/name)
• भज्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भज्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्

• प्रभद्रकम्: Prabhadraka (name)
• प्रभद्रकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र+भद्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within a technical metrical/chanting passage)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Metre-recognition via gaṇa-sūtras; the ‘maṇiguṇa’ metaphor frames chandas as a crafted, value-bearing structure.

Vedantic Theme: Discipline of speech (vāk-saṃskāra) as a support for higher inquiry; ordered sound mirrors ordered mind.

Application: Apply gaṇa mnemonics to classify Mālinī and Prabhadraka; useful for poets, reciters, and editors verifying metrical correctness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209.26 (Mālinī/Prabhadraka identification); Piṅgala Chandaḥśāstra gaṇa-sūtra tradition (na-ma, ya-ya, etc.)

Characters & Entities

• Vasus

FAQs

What is the importance of Mālinī metre in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a chandas (metre) identification cue, helping reciters preserve correct rhythm, yati (pause), and phonetic integrity during Purana chanting.

How does this verse explain correct recitation (yati and gaṇa) in chanting?

It names yati (metrical caesura) and gaṇa-markers (like na-jau, bha-jra), which are used to scan syllable patterns so the śloka is chanted with proper cadence and pause.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When reading the Garuda Purana aloud (especially in śrāddha or memorial contexts), following metre and yati improves clarity, memorization, and faithful transmission of the text.