Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

भो गौ पङ्क्तिः सुप्रातिष्ठा तनुमध्या तयौ स्मृता / नयाभ्यां बालललिता गायत्रीच्छन्द एव हि

Transliteration

bho gau paṅktiḥ suprātiṣṭhā tanumadhyā tayau smṛtā / nayābhyāṃ bālalalitā gāyatrīcchanda eva hi

Translation

اے گاؤ (مقدّس)—وہ ‘پنکتی’، ‘سُپرتِشٹھا’ اور ‘تنومدھیا’ کے نام سے یاد کی جاتی ہے؛ اور ان دو نَیوں سے ‘بالللِتا’ بھی کہلاتی ہے۔ اس کا چھند گایتری ہی ہے۔

Word by Word

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-अव्यय (vocative particle)

• गौ: ‘gau’ (metrical marker)
• गौ: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौ (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; छन्दोगण-निर्देशः (‘gau’ marker)

• पङ्क्तिः: Paṅkti (a metrical name/term)
• पङ्क्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुप्रातिष्ठा: well-established
• सुप्रातिष्ठा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रातिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-प्रातिष्ठा = well-established)

• तनुमध्या: slender-waisted
• तनुमध्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तन्व्या मध्यं यस्याः)

• तयौ: those two
• तयौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मृता: are remembered/are called
• स्मृता: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन-अर्थे (पाठभेदे ‘स्मृते’ अपेक्षितम्); ‘are remembered/called’

• नयाभ्याम्: by/with ‘na’ and ‘ya’ (markers)
• नयाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक/गण-चिह्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; छन्दोगण-निर्देशः (‘na’ and ‘ya’ markers)

• बालललिता: Bālalalitā (a metrical name/term)
• बालललिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + ललिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (बालैव ललिता)

• गायत्रीच्छन्दः: the Gāyatrī metre
• गायत्रीच्छन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गायत्र्याः छन्दः)

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

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Reason/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्ययम् (particle: for/indeed)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Multiple metrical names/epithets correspond to a single metrical structure; identification of Gāyatrī chandas.

Vedantic Theme: Many names, one underlying form—unity beneath linguistic plurality (a mild nāma-rūpa reflection).

Application: Recognize that variant labels (Paṅkti, Supratiṣṭhā, Tanumadhyā, Bālalalitā) can point to a Gāyatrī-pattern; apply in composition/recitation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.209 (catalogue of varṇa-vṛtta names and gaṇa patterns)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Gau (Sacred Cow)
• Gayatri (Chandas)

FAQs

What is the importance of the sacred cow (Gau) in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats the Cow as a sacred, mantra-linked presence described through auspicious epithets and identified with the Gāyatrī metre, implying ritual purity and dharmic merit connected with honoring and serving the cow.

How does this verse connect the cow with Gayatri chandas?

It explicitly states that her chandas (metre) is Gāyatrī, presenting the Cow not merely as an animal but as a sacred principle aligned with Vedic metrical/mantric sanctity used in worship and rites.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice Go-seva (ethical care of cattle), perform charity with reverence (e.g., Go-dana where appropriate), and approach daily dharma with ‘naya’—disciplined, principled conduct—while remembering that ritual acts are meant to cultivate purity and compassion.