Shloka 4

Jīva-yonis (84 Lakhs), Rarity of Human Birth, Sense-Restraint, Craving, and Śraddhā-based Dharma

Devanagari script

जरायुजास्तथा प्रोक्ता मनुष्याद्यास्तथा परे / सर्वेषामेव जन्तूनां मानुषत्वं हि दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

jarāyujāstathā proktā manuṣyādyāstathā pare / sarveṣāmeva jantūnāṃ mānuṣatvaṃ hi durlabham

Translation

وأما المولودون من الرَّحِم (jarāyuja) فيُقال إنهم البشر ومن شاكلهم، وهناك أيضًا أصناف أخرى من الكائنات. غير أنّ نيل الميلاد الإنساني بين جميع الأحياء لَنادرٌ حقًّا.

Word by Word

• jarāyujāḥ: womb-born beings
• jarāyujāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jarāyuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (likewise)

• proktāḥ: are said/are called
• proktāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• manuṣyādyāḥ: humans and others (beginning with humans)
• manuṣyādyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/समाहारार्थ: ‘मनुष्य-आदि’ = humans and the like

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ

• pare: others
• pare: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (genitive: of all)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थ (emphatic particle)

• jantūnām: of living beings
• jantūnām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• mānuṣatvam: human-ness; human state
• mānuṣatvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānuṣatva (प्रातिपदिक; -tva भाववाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (particle: for/indeed)

• durlabham: rare/difficult to obtain
• durlabham: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur + labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक तत्पुरुष: ‘दुर्लभ’ = difficult to obtain; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Manuṣyatva-durlabhatva: human birth is rare among beings and therefore spiritually consequential.

Vedantic Theme: Durlabha-sādhana-sampatti: the hard-to-attain conditions for liberation; human life as the privileged locus for viveka and sādhana.

Application: Treat time and capacity for discernment as precious: prioritize self-restraint, study, devotion, and ethical living over trivial pursuits.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana teachings that leverage human-birth rarity to motivate dharma, śrāddha, and Viṣṇu-bhakti in nearby chapters

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Living beings (jantus)
• Humans (manushya)

FAQs

What is the importance of the rarity of human birth in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that human birth is difficult to obtain among all beings, implying it should be used for dharma, self-discipline, and liberation-oriented practice rather than wasted in negligence.

How does this verse connect to the Garuda Purana’s afterlife narrative?

Preta Kanda frames post-death consequences around one’s actions; by calling human birth rare, the text underlines that this life is the key window to perform right conduct and rites that shape one’s fate after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat human life as a scarce opportunity: live ethically, perform duties responsibly, and cultivate spiritual practice (japa, charity, restraint), so one’s end-of-life and after-death journey is supported by merit.