Shloka 8

Roganidāna: Definitions, Fivefold Diagnostic Method, and Doṣa-wise Causes

Devanagari script

विद्यादुपशयं व्याधेः स हि सात्म्यमिति स्मृतः / विपरीतो ऽनुपशयो व्याध्यसात्म्येतिसंज्ञितः

Transliteration

vidyādupaśayaṃ vyādheḥ sa hi sātmyamiti smṛtaḥ / viparīto 'nupaśayo vyādhyasātmyetisaṃjñitaḥ

Translation

ما يُعلَم أنه يجلبُ التخفيفَ في المرض يُذكَر باسم «السَّاتْمْيَا» (sātmya) أي الملائمُ النافع. وضدُّه—ما لا يجلبُ تخفيفًا—يُسمّى «الأَسَاتْمْيَا» (asātmya) أي غيرَ الملائم بالنسبة لذلك المرض.

Word by Word

• vidyāt: one should know
• vidyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/optative sense), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; अर्थः—‘जान्यात्/विद्यात्’ (should know)

• upaśayam: alleviation/relief
• upaśayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upaśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vyādheḥ: of the disease
• vyādheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• saḥ: that (relief)
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/causal)

• sātmyam: wholesomeness/suitability
• sātmyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• smṛtaḥ: is said/considered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) प्रयुक्तः विधेय-भावे; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘(इति) कथितः/उच्यते’

• viparītaḥ: opposite
• viparītaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viparīta (√i + vi-pari + kta; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विपरीत’

• anupaśayaḥ: non-alleviation/worsening
• anupaśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anupaśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vyādhi-asātmyeti-saṃjñitaḥ: is termed ‘disease-unwholesomeness’
• vyādhi-asātmyeti-saṃjñitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyādhi (प्रातिपदिक) + asātmya (प्रातिपदिक) + iti (अव्यय) + saṃjñita (sam-√jñā + kta; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (determinative): ‘(व्याधेः) असात्म्यम् इति संज्ञितः’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Upaśaya (relief) defines sātmya (wholesome suitability); anupaśaya defines asātmya—knowledge through observed effect.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa in practice: inference from results; aligning action with what reduces duḥkha in embodied life.

Application: Test interventions by outcomes: what reduces symptoms is suitable; what fails or worsens is unsuitable—iterate carefully and observe.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.146.7 (proper use of medicines/food/vihara); Garuda Purana 1.146.9 (samprapti)

FAQs

What is the importance of sātmya (wholesomeness) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse defines sātmya as whatever brings genuine relief in illness, guiding a person to adopt compatible food, habits, and remedies that support healing.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it emphasizes discernment and right practice: choosing what truly alleviates suffering (sātmya) over what does not (asātmya) reflects a dharmic, clarity-based approach to reducing distress in embodied life.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe what actually improves your condition (diet, routine, treatment) and treat that as sātmya; avoid what fails to help or worsens symptoms, recognizing it as asātmya.