Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

मयौ रसौ तजौ भनौ गुरुर्लघुरपिद्विज । कारणं छंदसि प्रोक्ताश्छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

mayau rasau tajau bhanau gururlaghurapidvija | kāraṇaṃ chaṃdasi proktāśchandaḥśāstraviśāradaiḥ || 2 ||

Translation

‘Ma’ và ‘ya’, ‘ra’ và ‘sa’, ‘ta’ và ‘ja’, cùng ‘bha’ và ‘na’—và cả ‘guru’ lẫn ‘laghu’, hỡi bậc nhị sinh—đều là những thuật ngữ kỹ thuật (kāraṇa) của thi luật, như các bậc tinh thông chandas-śāstra đã tuyên dạy.

Word by Word

• मयौ: the ‘ma-ya’ gaṇa (mnemonic)
• मयौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म-य (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; गण-नाम (metre mnemonic)

• रसौ: the ‘ra-sa’ gaṇa
• रसौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: र-स (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• तजौ: the ‘ta-ja’ gaṇa
• तजौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त-ज (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• भनौ: the ‘bha-na’ gaṇa
• भनौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ-न (प्रातिपदिक; गणसंकेत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; गण-नाम

• गुरुः: a heavy syllable (guru)
• गुरुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लघुः: a light syllable (laghu)
• लघुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (also/indeed)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the reason/cause
• कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन

• छन्दसि: in metre (prosody)
• छन्दसि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: are declared
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘said/declared’

• छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः: by experts in the science of prosody
• छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दः-शास्त्र-विशारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समास: छन्दःशास्त्रे विशारदाः (locative/adhikaraṇa-tatpurusha sense)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada; addressing ‘dvija’ as the listener)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Narada

FAQs

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

It sanctifies disciplined study of Vedāṅga—especially chandas—as a legitimate support for Vedic learning, showing that precise knowledge of sacred sound-structure is part of the broader pursuit of dharma and mokṣa.

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

Indirectly: by validating correct recitation and metrical understanding, it supports accurate chanting and transmission of hymns and stotras—key practical foundations for sustained Vishnu-bhakti and scriptural devotion.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Chandas Vedāṅga: the metrical ‘kāraṇas’ (technical markers) such as the gaṇa labels (ma, ya, ra, sa, ta, ja, bha, na) and syllable-weights (guru/laghu) used to analyze and compose Sanskrit metres.