Shloka 12

Nirūpaṇa (Nāḍī–Svara-Nirūpaṇam): Breath Currents, Omens, and Action-Timing

Devanagari script

निर्गमे तु भवेद्वामा प्रवेशे दक्षैणा स्मृता / इडाचारे तथा सौम्यं चन्द्रसूर्यगतस्तथा

Transliteration

nirgame tu bhavedvāmā praveśe dakṣaiṇā smṛtā / iḍācāre tathā saumyaṃ candrasūryagatastathā

Translation

عند الزفير تُعَدّ القناة اليسرى (واما) هي العاملة؛ وعند الشهيق تُذكَر القناة اليمنى (دكشِنا) أنها العاملة. وإذا سرت قناة إيدا (Iḍā) كانت لطيفةً مُبرِّدة، وتوافق—على الترتيب—مساري القمر والشمس.

Word by Word

• निर्गमे: at the exit/outgoing
• निर्गमे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (but/indeed)

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वामा: the left (one)
• वामा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रवेशे: at the entry/entering
• प्रवेशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• दक्षिणा: the right (one)
• दक्षिणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृता: is considered/remembered
• स्मृता: Kriya (State/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त) ← स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इडाचारे: in iḍā-practice
• इडाचारे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इडा + आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (in the practice/path of iḍā)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• सौम्यम्: gentleness/auspiciousness
• सौम्यम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (context: predicate/attribute)

• चन्द्रसूर्यगतः: connected with moon and sun
• चन्द्रसूर्यगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र + सूर्य + गत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त); गत ← गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gata), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चन्द्र-सूर्य (द्वन्द्व) + गत (gone/related to)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thus/also)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Pitta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Outgoing breath relates to left current; incoming to right; iḍā is gentle/cooling and corresponds to lunar course, while the counterpart aligns with solar course.

Vedantic Theme: Order (ṛta) reflected in the body; knowledge of prāṇa as a means to self-regulation and clarity of mind.

Application: Track nostril dominance during daily activities; use lunar (iḍā) periods for calming, study, prayer; use solar periods for exertion and outward tasks, aiming for balance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: subtle-body (nostrils; iḍā/piṅgalā; prāṇa movement)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.67.10-11 (qualities of currents; danger of combined flow); Garuda Purana 1.67.13-14 (task-specific efficacy)

Characters & Entities

• Iḍā
• Candra
• Sūrya

FAQs

What is the importance of iḍā (left channel) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats iḍā as a cooling, gentle current aligned with the lunar principle, used as an indicator for the quality and auspiciousness of actions.

How does this verse explain subtle-body signs through breath or nāḍī flow?

It links left/right functioning (commonly read as nostril or nāḍī dominance) with outward vs inward movement and with lunar/solar correspondences, implying that bodily currents reflect subtle energetic states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe whether the left or right flow feels dominant before beginning or entering an activity, using it as a mindfulness cue to act calmly (lunar/left) or decisively (solar/right) rather than impulsively.