仁王經疏 2.141

2.141

釋曰：第二月光正讚。於中有二：初發起頌文、後以偈正讚。此即初也。所言偈者，自有二說。一云：偈者竭也，攝義竭盡，故名為偈。一云：依正梵音，名為伽他，此云頌，而言偈者是訛略也。然所說偈，必具四句。梵音鉢陀，此翻為迹。外譬真如諸象四跡成身，偈亦如是。

Commentary: Second, Candrabrabha directly praises. In it there are two [parts]: first, introducing the verse text; second, directly praising in verse. This is the first. As for the word 'verse' (jie), there are two explanations. One says: Jie means 'to exhaust' (jie), because it completely gathers and exhausts the meaning, hence it is named jie. Another says: According to the correct Sanskrit sound, it is called a gāthā, which is translated here as 'hymn' (song), while calling it jie is an erroneous abbreviation. However, a verse spoken must have four lines (pāda). The Sanskrit sound pāda is translated here as 'footprint'. Externally it is likened to an elephant's four footprints forming a body; a verse is also like this.