Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga — Chapter 57
NarP 1 57.1
सनन्दन उवाच वैदिकं लौकिकं चापि छन्दो द्विविधमुच्यते । मात्रावर्णविभेदेन तच्चापि द्विविधं पुनः
sanandana uvāca vaidikaṃ laukikaṃ cāpi chando dvividhamucyate / mātrāvarṇavibhedena taccāpi dvividhaṃ punaḥ
Sanandana said: Metre is said to be of two kinds, Vedic and worldly; and that again is twofold, by the distinction of mora and syllable.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.2
मयौ रसौ तजौ भनौ गुरुर्लघुरपिद्विज । कारणं छन्दसि प्रोक्ताश्छन्दःशास्त्रविशारदैः
mayau rasau tajau bhanau gururlaghurapidvija / kāraṇaṃ chandasi proktāśchandaḥśāstraviśāradaiḥ
Ma and ya, ra and sa, ta and ja, bha and na, and also the heavy and the light, O twice-born: these are declared by those versed in the science of prosody to be the constituents in metre.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.3
सर्वगो मगणः प्रोक्तो मुखलो यगणः स्मृतः । मध्यलो रगणश्वैव प्रान्त्यगः सगणो मतः
sarvago magaṇaḥ prokto mukhalo yagaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ / madhyalo ragaṇaśvaiva prāntyagaḥ sagaṇo mataḥ
The ma-gaṇa is said to be wholly (heavy); the ya-gaṇa is known as light at the mouth (i.e. first syllable light); the ra-gaṇa has the light in the middle; and the sa-gaṇa is held to reach to the end (i.e. heavy at the end).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.4
तगण्ॐऽतलघुः ख्यातो मध्यगो जो भआदिगः । त्रिलघुर्नगणः प्रोक्तस्त्रिका वर्णगणा मुने
tagaṇoṃ'talaghuḥ khyāto madhyago jo bhaādigaḥ / trilaghurnagaṇaḥ proktastrikā varṇagaṇā mune
The ta-gaṇa is known as light at the end; ja goes in the middle (heavy in the middle), bha has it at the beginning; the na-gaṇa is said to be of three lights. These, O sage, are the syllabic gaṇas of three (syllables).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.5
चतुर्लास्तु गणाः पञ्च प्रोक्ता आर्यादिसंमताः । संयोगश्च विसर्गश्चानुस्वारो लघुतः परः
caturlāstu gaṇāḥ pañca proktā āryādisaṃmatāḥ / saṃyogaśca visargaścānusvāro laghutaḥ paraḥ
But five gaṇas of four (moras) are declared, accepted in the ārya and the like. And a conjunct consonant, a visarga, and an anusvāra following a light
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.6
लघोर्दीर्घत्वमाख्याति दीर्घो गो लो लघुर्मतः । पादश्चतुर्थभागः स्याद्विच्छेदोयतिरुच्यते
laghordīrghatvamākhyāti dīrgho go lo laghurmataḥ / pādaścaturthabhāgaḥ syādvicchedoyatirucyate
make known the length of that light. The long is (called) ga, the light is held to be la. A quarter part is a pāda; a break is called yati.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.7
सममर्द्धसमं वृत्तं विषमं चापि नारद । तुल्यलक्षणतः पादचतुष्के सममुच्यते
samamarddhasamaṃ vṛttaṃ viṣamaṃ cāpi nārada / tulyalakṣaṇataḥ pādacatuṣke samamucyate
Metrical form is same, half-same, and also uneven, O Nārada. When the four pādas are of like definition, it is called "same."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.8
आदित्रिके द्विचतुर्थे सममर्द्धसमं ततम् । लक्ष्म भिन्नं यस्य पादचतुष्के विषमं हि तत्
āditrike dvicaturthe samamarddhasamaṃ tatam / lakṣma bhinnaṃ yasya pādacatuṣke viṣamaṃ hi tat
When the first and third, and the second and fourth, agree, that is spread out as "half-same"; that whose defining mark differs in the four pādas is indeed "uneven."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.9
एकाक्षरात्समारभ्य वर्णैकैकस्य वृद्धितः । षड्विंशत्यक्षरं यावत्पादस्तावत्पृथक् पृथक्
ekākṣarātsamārabhya varṇaikaikasya vṛddhitaḥ / ṣaḍviṃśatyakṣaraṃ yāvatpādastāvatpṛthak pṛthak
Beginning from one syllable, by increase of one syllable at a time, up to a pāda of twenty-six syllables — so many, each separately.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.10
तत्परं चण्डवृष्ट्यादिदण्डकाः परिकल्पिताः । त्रिभिः षड्भिः पदैर्गाथाः शृणु संज्ञा यथोत्तरम्
tatparaṃ caṇḍavṛṣṭyādidaṇḍakāḥ parikalpitāḥ / tribhiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ padairgāthāḥ śṛṇu saṃjñā yathottaram
Beyond that, the daṇḍakas beginning with Caṇḍavṛṣṭi are devised. With three or with six pādas there are gāthās. Hear the names in due order.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.11
उक्तात्युक्ता तथा मध्या प्रतिष्टान्या सुपूर्विका । गायत्र्युष्णिगनुष्टष्टप्च बृहती पङ्क्तिरेव च
uktātyuktā tathā madhyā pratiṣṭānyā supūrvikā / gāyatryuṣṇiganuṣṭaṣṭapca bṛhatī paṅktireva ca
Uktā, atyuktā, and madhyā, pratiṣṭhā, and the other one prefixed with su-, gāyatrī, uṣṇih, anuṣṭubh, bṛhatī, and paṅkti,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.12
त्रिष्टुप्च जगती चैव तथातिजगती मता । शक्करी सातिपूर्वा च अष्ट्यत्यष्टी ततः स्मृते
triṣṭupca jagatī caiva tathātijagatī matā / śakkarī sātipūrvā ca aṣṭyatyaṣṭī tataḥ smṛte
triṣṭubh and jagatī, and likewise atijagatī is reckoned, śakvarī and that prefixed with ati-, then aṣṭi and atyaṣṭi are known,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.13
धृतिश्च विधृतिश्चैव कृतिः प्रकृतिराकृतिः । विकृतिः संकृतिश्चैव तथातिकृतिरुत्कृतिः
dhṛtiśca vidhṛtiścaiva kṛtiḥ prakṛtirākṛtiḥ / vikṛtiḥ saṃkṛtiścaiva tathātikṛtirutkṛtiḥ
and dhṛti and vidhṛti, kṛti, prakṛti, ākṛti, vikṛti and saṃkṛti, and likewise atikṛti and utkṛti.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
NarP 1 57.14
इत्येताश्छन्दसां संज्ञाः प्रस्ताराद्भेदभागिकाः । पादे सर्वगुरौ पूर्वील्लघुं स्थाप्य गुरोरधः
ityetāśchandasāṃ saṃjñāḥ prastārādbhedabhāgikāḥ / pāde sarvagurau pūrvīllaghuṃ sthāpya guroradhaḥ
These are the names of the metres, sharing in their varieties by way of the prastāra (tabulation). In a pāda that is all heavy, having placed a light on the first, below that heavy
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.15
यथोपरि तथा शेषमग्रे प्रारवन्न्यसेदपि । एष प्रस्तार उदितो यावत्सर्वलघुर्भवेत्
yathopari tathā śeṣamagre prāravannyasedapi / eṣa prastāra udito yāvatsarvalaghurbhavet
one should also set down the remainder in front just as it is above. This prastāra is declared (to continue) until all become light.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.16
नष्टाङ्कार्द्धे समे लः स्याद्विपम् सैव सोर्द्धगः । उद्दिष्टे द्विगुणानाद्यादङ्गान्संमोल्य लस्थितान्
naṣṭāṅkārddhe same laḥ syādvipam saiva sorddhagaḥ / uddiṣṭe dviguṇānādyādaṅgānsaṃmolya lasthitān
In the "lost" (naṣṭa) procedure, when the halved number is even there is a light; otherwise the same with the half increased (by one, a heavy). In the "pointed out" (uddiṣṭa) procedure, having summed the members doubled from the first that stand at the light positions,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.17
कृत्वा सेकान्वदैत्संख्यामिति प्राहुः पुराविदः । वणान्सेकान्वृत्तभवानुत्तराधरतः स्थितान्
kṛtvā sekānvadaitsaṃkhyāmiti prāhuḥ purāvidaḥ / vaṇānsekānvṛttabhavānuttarādharataḥ sthitān
and having added one, one should state the number — so the ancients said. The syllables, plus one, arising from the metrical form, standing from upper to lower,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.18
एकादिक्रमतश्चैकानुपर्य्युपरि विन्यसेत् । उपान्त्यतो निवर्तेत त्यजन्नेकैकमूर्द्धतः
ekādikramataścaikānuparyyupari vinyaset / upāntyato nivarteta tyajannekaikamūrddhataḥ
And one should set down single (units) one above another in sequence beginning with one; one should turn back from the next-to-last, dropping one after another from the top.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.19
उपर्याद्याद्गुरोरेवमेकद्व्यादिलगक्रिया । लगक्रियाङ्कसंदोहे भवेत्संख्याविमिश्रिते
uparyādyādgurorevamekadvyādilagakriyā / lagakriyāṅkasaṃdohe bhavetsaṃkhyāvimiśrite
Thus, from the top, beginning with the first guru, comes the lag-operation of one, two, and so on; in the total of the lag-operation figures, when it is mixed with the (metre's) number, it will be (obtained).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.20
उद्दिष्टाङ्कसमाहारः सैको वा जनयेदिमाम् । संख्यैव द्विगुणैकोना सद्भिरध्वा प्रकीर्तितः
uddiṣṭāṅkasamāhāraḥ saiko vā janayedimām / saṃkhyaiva dviguṇaikonā sadbhiradhvā prakīrtitaḥ
The sum of the figures of the (verse) pointed out, together with one, produces this (serial number); and the number itself, doubled and diminished by one, is declared by the good to be the 'road' (adhvan).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
NarP 1 57.21
इत्येतत्किञ्चिदाख्यातं लक्षणं छन्दसां नुने । प्रस्तारोक्तप्रभेदानां नामानांस्त्यं प्रगाहते
ityetatkiñcidākhyātaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ chandasāṃ nune / prastāroktaprabhedānāṃ nāmānāṃstyaṃ pragāhate
Thus this much has been declared, the definition of the metres, O sage; (as for) the names of the divisions stated in the prastāra, (their) truth he grasps.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain