Shloka 5

Devanagari script

विपरीताख्यानकं स्याद्विषमे जस्तजौ गगौ / ततौ जगौ समे गः स्यात् पिङ्गलेन ह्युदाहृतम्

Transliteration

viparītākhyānakaṃ syādviṣame jastajau gagau / tatau jagau same gaḥ syāt piṅgalena hyudāhṛtam

Translation

‘وِپَریت آکھیانک’ میں طاق پادوں میں ‘ج، ستجَو، گگَو’ کی ترتیب ہوتی ہے؛ جفت پادوں میں ‘تتَو، جگَو’ اور آخر میں ‘گ’ آتا ہے—یہ پِنگل نے بیان کیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• विपरीताख्यानकम्: (the metre) Viparītākhyānaka
• विपरीताख्यानकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपरीत-आख्यानक (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विपरीतम् आख्यानकम्)

• स्यात्: would be / is (as a rule)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विषमे: in the odd (pāda)
• विषमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• जस्तजौ: the gaṇas ‘jas’ and ‘tajau’
• जस्तजौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जस्-तजौ (प्रातिपदिक; छन्दः-गणसंज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व (जस् + तजौ) gaṇa-names

• गगौ: the two ‘ga’ gaṇas
• गगौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगौ (प्रातिपदिक; छन्दः-गणसंज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• ततौ: the two ‘ta’ gaṇas (tatau)
• ततौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ततौ (प्रातिपदिक; छन्दः-गणसंज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; गणसंज्ञा

• जगौ: the two ‘ja’ gaṇas (jagau)
• जगौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगौ (प्रातिपदिक; छन्दः-गणसंज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; गणसंज्ञा

• समे: in the even (pāda)
• समे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• गः: the gaṇa ‘ga’
• गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग (प्रातिपदिक; छन्दः-गणसंज्ञा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; गणसंज्ञा

• स्यात्: would be / is (as a rule)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पिङ्गलेन: by Piṅgala
• पिङ्गलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ/हेतौ

• उदाहृतम्: has been stated/declared
• उदाहृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive participle)

Speaker

Narrator/Compiler voice (prosodic citation of Piṅgala; not a Vishnu–Garuda dialogue line)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viparītākhyānaka vṛtta: viṣama-pāda gaṇa ordering (odd vs even) and terminal ga specification.

Vedantic Theme: Respect for paramparā (transmission) and śāstra-prāmāṇya; knowledge stabilized by citation of an authority.

Application: When scanning/creating Viparītākhyānaka, apply distinct gaṇa sequences for odd and even pādas and ensure the even pāda ends in ga.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.210.4 (ākhyānakī and sama scheme); Garuda Purana 1.210.6 (Vaitālīya/Aparavaktra as another allied metre)

Characters & Entities

• Piṅgala

FAQs

What is the importance of Viparītākhyānaka metre in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves a technical rule for identifying the Viparītākhyānaka vṛtta using gaṇa patterns, showing that the text also transmits formal chandas knowledge alongside religious teaching.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s main themes like afterlife and rituals?

Indirectly: it is a prosodic (chandas) instruction rather than an afterlife passage, but such metrical rules help preserve accurate recitation and transmission of ritual and dharma-related teachings elsewhere in the Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the gaṇa pattern given here to scan and verify the metre when chanting or editing manuscripts, improving accuracy in recitation and digital archiving of Sanskrit verses.