Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

आदित्रिके द्विचतुर्थे सममर्द्धसमं ततम् । लक्ष्म भिन्नं यस्य पादचतुष्के विषमं हि तत् ॥ ८ ॥

Transliteration

āditrike dvicaturthe samamarddhasamaṃ tatam | lakṣma bhinnaṃ yasya pādacatuṣke viṣamaṃ hi tat || 8 ||

Translation

ഒരു പദ്യത്തിൽ ആദ്യത്തെ മൂന്ന് പാദങ്ങൾ സമവും, രണ്ടാം-നാലാം പാദങ്ങൾ അർദ്ധസമവും ആയിരിക്കെ, നാലു പാദങ്ങളിലും ഛന്ദോലക്ഷണം വ്യത്യസ്തമെങ്കിൽ അതു ‘വിഷമ’ വൃത്തം ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• आदित्रिके: in the first triad (first three)
• आदित्रिके: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि + त्रिक (प्रातिपदिक; आदित्रिक- इति समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative sg)

• द्विचतुर्थे: in the second and fourth (positions)
• द्विचतुर्थे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; द्विचतुर्थ- इति समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative sg); द्विगु-समास (numeral compound)

• सममर्द्धसमम्: equal in halves
• सममर्द्धसमम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम + अर्द्ध + सम (प्रातिपदिक; सममर्द्धसम- इति समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc sg)

• ततम्: that (metre)
• ततम्: अन्वय/विधेय (Correlative/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc sg; pronoun)

• लक्ष्म: mark/characteristic
• लक्ष्म: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘लक्ष्म’ इति रूपम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc sg; mark/characteristic)

• भिन्नम्: different
• भिन्नम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त; भिन्न)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Past passive participle; Neuter Nom/Acc sg)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक (Genitive sg; ‘whose/of which’)

• पादचतुष्के: in the four pādas
• पादचतुष्के: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + चतुष्क (प्रातिपदिक; पादचतुष्क- इति समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative sg)

• विषमम्: unequal
• विषमम्: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (Neuter Nom/Acc sg; predicative)

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/हेतौ निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता/विधेय (Subject/Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter Nom/Acc sg; pronoun)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada the Vedanga of Chandas)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: none

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It frames Chandas (Vedic prosody) as disciplined sacred knowledge: precise metre preserves the integrity of recitation and transmission, supporting dharma and right understanding.

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

Indirectly: correct metrical knowledge safeguards accurate chanting and hymnody, which strengthens devotional practice by keeping praise and recitation faithful to tradition.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (prosody): it defines how to recognize a viṣama (uneven) metre in a four-pāda verse based on equality/inequality patterns across the pādas.