Shloka 41
Dharma, Purity, and the Inner Purpose of the Vedas
Karma-kāṇḍa Reoriented to Bhakti
गायत्र्युष्णिगनुष्टुप् च बृहती पङ्क्तिरेव च । त्रिष्टुब्जगत्यतिच्छन्दो ह्यत्यष्ट्यतिजगद् विराट् ॥ ४१ ॥
gāyatry uṣṇig anuṣṭup ca bṛhatī paṅktir eva ca triṣṭub jagaty aticchando hy atyaṣṭy-atijagad-virāṭ
Các thể thơ Veda là: Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Triṣṭup, Jagatī, Aticchanda, Atyaṣṭi, Atijagatī và Ativirāṭ.
The Gāyatrī meter has twenty-four syllables, the Uṣṇik twenty-eight, the Anuṣṭup thirty-two, and so on, each meter having four more syllables than the previous one. Vedic sound is called bṛhatī, or most expansive, and thus it is not possible for ordinary living entities to understand all the technical details in this matter.
FAQs
In this verse, Krishna lists principal Vedic meters—Gāyatrī through Jagatī—and also mentions expanded meters like Aticchandas, Atyaṣṭi, Atijagatī, and Virāṭ, showing that sacred speech is structured through chandas.
Within the Uddhava Gita, Krishna explains the components and classifications of Vedic expression, helping Uddhava understand how divine knowledge is conveyed through regulated sacred sound.
Knowing that mantras and prayers are deliberately structured encourages careful chanting, attentive recitation, and respect for scriptural sound as a disciplined practice supporting devotion and concentration.