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Shloka 5

Prastāra–Naṣṭa Procedures and Enumeration of Chandas

Laghu–Guru Computation

Devanagari script

लगसंख्या वृत्तसंख्या चाद्याङ्गुलमथोर्ध्वतः / संख्यैव द्विगुणैकोनाच्छन्दः सारो ऽयमीरितः

Transliteration

lagasaṃkhyā vṛttasaṃkhyā cādyāṅgulamathordhvataḥ / saṃkhyaiva dviguṇaikonācchandaḥ sāro 'yamīritaḥ

Translation

முதல் அங்குல அளவிலிருந்து மேலே செல்லும் லகக் கணக்கும் வ்ருத்தக் கணக்கும்—அந்த எண்ணை இரட்டிப்பாக்கி ஒன்றைக் குறைத்தால், இதுவே சந்தஸின் சார விதி என அறிவிக்கப்படுகிறது।

Word by Word
लगसंख्याcount of laghu (short syllables)
लगसंख्या:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootलग + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (लघूनां संख्या/laghu-count)
वृत्तसंख्याcount of metres/rows
वृत्तसंख्या:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवृत्त + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृत्तस्य संख्या)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)
आद्यfirst
आद्य:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootआद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (first)
अङ्गुलम्finger/measure (a unit)
अङ्गुलम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
अथthen/now
अथ:
Sambandha (Discourse/अव्यय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)
ऊर्ध्वतःupwards/from above
ऊर्ध्वतः:
Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb): 'from above/upwards'
संख्याthe number
संख्या:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
एवindeed/only
एव:
Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)
द्विगुणैकोनात्from (being) one less than double
द्विगुणैकोनात्:
Hetu/Source (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootद्वि + गुण + एक + ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विगुणात् एकोनम् = one less than double)
छन्दःmetre/prosody
छन्दः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootछन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
सारःessence/summary
सारः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
अयम्this
अयम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
ईरितःis stated/has been declared
ईरितः:
Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; धातुः—ईर् (to state)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra, within the Brahma Kanda’s didactic sections)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prosodic enumeration: counts of lagas and vṛttas derived by a doubling-minus-one rule across measures.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda-brahma orientation: disciplined sound/measure as a support for sacred knowledge; order in speech mirrors order in mind.

Application: For metrical cataloging: starting from the first unit and moving upward, compute total patterns by ‘2n−1’ (doubling then subtracting one) as the stated chandas-sāra rule; apply to generate/verify meter counts.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.212 surrounding verses: prastāra/uddiṣṭa/naṣṭa-like computational rules for chandas

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
V
Vishnu
C
Chandas

FAQs

This verse treats chandas as a technical discipline: correct metrical knowledge preserves accurate recitation and transmission of Purāṇic teaching.

It gives a compact computational rule: take the relevant count (of metrical groupings/meters), double it, and subtract one—presented as the ‘essence’ for chandas determination in this context.

Use it as a mnemonic when studying Sanskrit meters: disciplined counting and rule-based verification help keep chanting and textual study precise.

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