The chandas-metres

Courtesy: www.mudgala.com

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Chandas

A concise summary

Chandas	Padas	Vayu Gulika
Gayatri	3	24 = 8+8+8
Ushnik	3	28 = 8+8+12
Anustup	4	32 = 8+8+8+8
Brihati	4	36 = 8+8+12+8
Pankti	5	40 = 8+8+8+8+8
Trishtup	4	44 = 11+11+11+11
Jagati	4	48 = 12+12+12+12

Importance

manaH ChandaH . vaak ChandaH .. KYV 4-3-7 .. mananaat traayate iti mantraH . 

It is well known that mantras that that which protect the mind. Although, in modern times, they are used willy nilly, for materialistic purposes that defy logic, their primary purpose remains to safegaurd the mind. Those who are spiritually inclined know this already, and those who are not spiritually inclined only take up mantras in their time of need, when their mind is disturbed.

Chandas is the movement of the mantra, and as such is an intricate part of every mantra. The Krishna yajur veda equates chandas with both the mind and speech, for speech is mantra (chandas), and mantra (chandas) safeguards the mind.

Even today, mantras are taught and used only along with knowledge of the seer who revealed it, the devata being propitiated, and its chandas (movment). All of this just goes to show importance of the chandas.

Chandas and Devatas

vasavastvaa pravR^ihantu gaayatreNa ChandasaH . rudraastvaa pravR^ihantu traiShTubhena ChandasaH . aadityaastvaa pravR^ihantu jaagatena ChandasaH .     - KYV 3-3-3  

The summary table above shows the number of vayu gulikas in each pada of the chandas. A close look shows that each pada is made up of one of three numbers: 8, 11 and/or 12. A pada of 8 vayu gulikas represents the 8 Vasus. A pada of 11 vayu gulikas represents the 11 Rudras. A pada of 12 vayu gulikas represents the 12 Adityas.

The Gayatri, Trishtup and Jagati chandas' are made up purely of 8, 11, and 12 vayu gulikas respectively. Thus, the veda itself equates Gayatri (8) with the Vasus, Trishtup (11) with the Rudras, and Jagati (12) with the Adityas.

Savitur Gayatri

The foremost example of the Gayatri chandas is usually taken to be the Savitur Gayatri. Because of its greatness, it is also known simply as the Gayatri mantra. As described above, the Gayatri chandas is composed of 3 padas of 8 vayu gulikas each. When japa of this mantra is performed, the word "vareNiyaM" in the first pada is recited as "vareNyaM". Thus, the mantra as used in japa belongs to the nicR^id-gayatri chandas (nicR^id = defective), since the mantra as used in the japa consists of only 23 vayu gulikas.

33 Devas

The traditional list of 33 devas is as follows

• 8 Vasus
• 11 Rudras
• 12 Adityas
• Indra
• Prajapati

Thus, the 3 primary chandas (gayatri, trishtup and jagati) represent 31 of the 33 primary devas.

Ashta Vasavas

Katame Vasava iti.  agnischa pR^ithivi ca vayuschantariksham cha adityascha dyouscha  chandramascha nakshatrani cha itevasava aeteshu hidam sarve vasu hitam  aete hidam sarve vasayante taddyudidam sarve vasayante tasmad vasava iti.    -- SB 16-16  

1. Agni
2. Prithivi
3. Vayu
4. Antariksha
5. Aditya
6. Dyau
7. Chandrama
8. Nakshatra

Ekadasha Rudras

The 11 rudras as given in various schools is outlined in the article on the panchyatana puja.

Dwadasha Adityas

1. Mitra
2. Ravi
3. Surya
4. Bhanu
5. Khaga
6. Pushna
7. Hiranyagarbha
8. Marichi
9. Aditya
10. Savitur
11. Arka
12. Bhaskara

Sources

• Dr. Satyavati S. Kandala
• Sanjay Rath

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Please send comments to Ajit Krishnan ( webmaster _at_ mudgala.com )
Last updated Jan 2005. Copyright Ajit Krishnan [ 1999 - 2005

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