Shloka 1

Lāṅgalī and the Crystal-like Taila: Purity, Value, and Sin-Destroying Merit

Devanagari script

नामाष्टसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / कावेरविन्ध्ययवनचीननेपालभूमिषु / लाङ्गली व्यकिरन्मेदो दानवस्य प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭasaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / kāveravindhyayavanacīnanepālabhūmiṣu / lāṅgalī vyakiranmedo dānavasya prayatnataḥ

Translation

قال سوتا: «هذا هو الفصل التاسع والسبعون. في بلاد كافيرا وويندهيا واليافانا والصين (تشينا) ونيبال، قامت العشبة المسماة لانغالي (Lāṅgalī)، بجهدٍ مقصود، بتفريق شحمِ دانافا.»

Word by Word

• नाम: namely/indeed
• नाम: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (indeed/namely)

• अष्टसप्ततितमः: seventy-eighth
• अष्टसप्ततितमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-सप्तति-तम (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट=8, सप्तति=70, तम=ordinal suffix)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (78th)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कावेरी: Kāverī region
• कावेरी: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; नदी/देशवाचक; समासाङ्ग

• विन्ध्य: Vindhya region
• विन्ध्य: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पर्वत/देशवाचक; समासाङ्ग

• यवन: Yavana lands
• यवन: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; जनपद/जातिवाचक; समासाङ्ग

• चीन: China
• चीन: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; देशवाचक; समासाङ्ग

• नेपाल: Nepal
• नेपाल: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; देशवाचक; समासाङ्ग

• भूमिषु: in the lands of Kāverī, Vindhya, Yavana, China, and Nepal
• भूमिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; ‘कावेरविन्ध्ययवनचीननेपालभूमिषु’ = कावेरी-विन्ध्य-यवन-चीन-नेपाल-भूमयः (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपदसमाहार)

• लाङ्गली: Lāṅgalī
• लाङ्गली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (नाम/वनस्पति/देवी-नाम)

• व्यकिरत्: scattered, poured forth
• व्यकिरत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-किॄ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; (पाठ: व्यकिरन् + मेदः → व्यकिरन्मेदः)

• मेदः: fat
• मेदः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (विसर्गान्त रूपम्)

• दानवस्य: of the Dānava
• दानवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रयत्नतः: with effort, deliberately
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (from effort/with effort)

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Origins of substances are tied to place and intentional action; knowledge is conveyed through cataloguing (deśa) and naming (nāma) of herbs.

Vedantic Theme: Prakṛti’s transformations (pariṇāma) under specific causes; epistemic humility—marvels are situated in deśa-kāla-nimitta.

Application: For traditional herbal lore, record provenance and method of preparation; treat cross-cultural regions as part of a shared pharmacological/ritual network.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: regions/mountain-range/cultural lands

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.79.2 (product description from the scattered essence); Garuda Purana 1.78.1 (parallel ‘casting/producing’ origin narrative)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Kāvera (region/river)
• Vindhya
• Yavanas
• Cīnas
• Nepāla
• Lāṅgalī
• Dānava

FAQs

What is the importance of naming the chapter (adhyāya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a chapter-marker (colophon-style opening), signaling the transition into Adhyaya 79 and framing the narrative voice as Sūta.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana?

It does not directly address the soul’s journey; it introduces a geographically framed narrative episode, likely preparatory to the chapter’s main teaching or story.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a cue to read the chapter in context: note how Purāṇas embed teachings within place-names and stories, encouraging careful, contextual study rather than isolated quotation.