Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

पञ्चाश्वार्कैर्भतौ तन्वी नसभा भनया गणाः / क्रौञ्चपदा बाणशरवसुशैलैर्भमौ सभौ

Transliteration

pañcāśvārkairbhatau tanvī nasabhā bhanayā gaṇāḥ / krauñcapadā bāṇaśaravasuśailairbhamau sabhau

Translation

Dengan lima puluh (unit/penanda) bersama Surya (Matahari) dan dua “Bhā”, ditunjukkan Tanvī (sebuah nakṣatra). Dan dengan “na-sabhā” bersama “bha” dan “nayā”, gaṇa dihitung dan ditetapkan. Dengan “krauñca-pada”, serta dengan Bāṇa, Śara, Vasu dan Śaila, dua kedudukan “bha” dan “mau” ditandai—demikianlah urutannya dinyatakan.

Word by Word

पञ्चाश्वार्कैःby five-aśva-arka (a metrical count/markers)

भतौin/at ‘bhatौ’ (marker)

तन्वीTanvī (name of a metre)

नसभाNasabhā (marker-sequence/name)

भनयाby ‘bhanā’ (marker)

गणाःgaṇas (metrical groups)

क्रौञ्चपदाKrauñcapadā (name of a metre)

बाणशरवसुशैलैःby bāṇa, śara, vasu, and śaila (markers/counts)

भमौin/at ‘bhamau’ (marker)

सभौin/at ‘sabhau’ (marker)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mnemonic encoding using numbers, deities/objects, and astral names to remember gaṇa sequences and metrical stations (bha/mau etc.).

Vedantic Theme: Bandhu (correspondence) style thinking—linking disparate domains (number, astral name, word-symbol) to preserve knowledge.

Application: Use the symbolic markers (sun/arka, bāṇa/śara, vasu, śaila, krauñca-pada) as memory pegs for gaṇa placement and metre identification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: nakshatra/astral marker

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209: continued prosody mnemonics mixing numeric and symbolic terms for gaṇa designation

Characters & Entities

Lord Vishnu

Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of these technical names (Tanvī, Gaṇa, Bha, Mau) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses coded or technical designations to classify and enumerate cosmic/astral groupings; it reflects the Purāṇic method of mapping names and markers to structured categories.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teachings?

While much of the Garuḍa Purāṇa discusses dharma, death rites, and the afterlife, it also contains cosmological and enumerative passages; this verse belongs to that classificatory layer within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

For practitioners and readers, it highlights careful preservation of traditional nomenclature and structured learning—useful when studying Purāṇic cosmology alongside ritual calendars and classical commentarial traditions.