Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

त्रिष्टुप्च जगती चैव तथातिजगती मता । शक्करी सातिपूर्वा च अष्ट्यत्यष्टी ततः स्मृते ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

triṣṭupca jagatī caiva tathātijagatī matā | śakkarī sātipūrvā ca aṣṭyatyaṣṭī tataḥ smṛte || 12 ||

Translation

திரிஷ்டுப், ஜகதி, அதுபோல அதிஜகதி—இவை சந்தங்களென ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்படுகின்றன. பின்னர் ஷக்கரீ, ஸாதிபூர்வா, அதன் பின் அஷ்டி மற்றும் அத்யஷ்டி என மரபில் நினைவுகூரப்படுகின்றன.

Word by Word

• triṣṭup: Triṣṭubh (metre-name)
• triṣṭup: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triṣṭubh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयार्थक निपात)

• jagatī: Jagatī (metre-name)
• jagatī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयार्थक निपात)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारणार्थक निपात)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ati-jagatī: Atijagatī (metre-name)
• ati-jagatī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + jagatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: upapada/avyaya-pūrvapada with intensifier ‘ati-’

• matā: is considered/called
• matā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) → mata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively ‘is considered’

• śakkarī: Śakkarī (metre-name)
• śakkarī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakkarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sātipūrvā: Sātipūrvā (metre-name)
• sātipūrvā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāti (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Karmadhāraya: ‘sāti’ as qualifier of ‘pūrvā’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयार्थक निपात)

• aṣṭi: Aṣṭi (metre-name)
• aṣṭi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ati-aṣṭī: Atiaṣṭī (metre-name)
• ati-aṣṭī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + aṣṭī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa with intensifier ‘ati-’

• tataḥ: thereafter/then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), ablatival sense ‘thereafter/from that’

• smṛte: are remembered/are stated
• smṛte: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त); Dual (द्विवचन), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया) Neuter or Feminine; used as predicate ‘are remembered/are said’ (referring to the last two)

Speaker

Narada (teaching the classification of Chandas within Vedic knowledge)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Narada

FAQs

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

It preserves the sacred structure of Vedic revelation by naming authoritative metres; correct chandas supports accurate chanting, which is treated as a discipline that steadies the mind and safeguards dharma-oriented learning.

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

Indirectly: bhakti practices like stotra and mantra-japa rely on disciplined recitation; knowledge of metres helps maintain the purity and rhythm of devotional chanting and Vedic hymnody.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas (prosody), a Vedanga: the verse enumerates specific Vedic metres (e.g., Triṣṭubh, Jagatī and their extensions), useful for identifying, composing, and correctly reciting hymns according to metrical rules.