Shloka 5

Devanagari script

लगसंख्या वृत्तसंख्या चाद्याङ्गुलमथोर्ध्वतः / संख्यैव द्विगुणैकोनाच्छन्दः सारो ऽयमीरितः

Transliteration

lagasaṃkhyā vṛttasaṃkhyā cādyāṅgulamathordhvataḥ / saṃkhyaiva dviguṇaikonācchandaḥ sāro 'yamīritaḥ

Translation

మొదటి అంగుళం నుండి పైకి లగాల సంఖ్య, వృత్తాల సంఖ్య—ఆ సంఖ్యను రెండింతలు చేసి ఒకటి తగ్గిస్తే, ఇదే ఛందస్సు నిర్ణయానికి సార నియమమని చెప్పబడింది।

Word by Word

• लगसंख्या: count of laghu (short syllables)
• लगसंख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लग + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (लघूनां संख्या/laghu-count)

• वृत्तसंख्या: count of metres/rows
• वृत्तसंख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वृत्तस्य संख्या)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आद्य: first
• आद्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (first)

• अङ्गुलम्: finger/measure (a unit)
• अङ्गुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (then/now)

• ऊर्ध्वतः: upwards/from above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Adhikarana (Directional/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverb): 'from above/upwards'

• संख्या: the number
• संख्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• द्विगुणैकोनात्: from (being) one less than double
• द्विगुणैकोनात्: Hetu/Source (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि + गुण + एक + ऊन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (द्विगुणात् एकोनम् = one less than double)

• छन्दः: metre/prosody
• छन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सारः: essence/summary
• सारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ईरितः: is stated/has been declared
• ईरितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि 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

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Chandas

FAQs

What is the importance of chandas (prosody) in the Garuda Purana?

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

How does this verse explain determining a Sanskrit meter?

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.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

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