Shloka 5

Causes and Signs of Hṛdroga

Heart Disease) and Tṛṣṇā (Pathological Thirst

Devanagari script

श्लेष्मणा हृदयं स्तब्धं भारिकं साश्मगर्भवत् / कासास्थिसादनिष्ठीवनिद्रालस्यारुचिज्वराः

Transliteration

śleṣmaṇā hṛdayaṃ stabdhaṃ bhārikaṃ sāśmagarbhavat / kāsāsthisādaniṣṭhīvanidrālasyārucijvarāḥ

Translation

Wenn Schleim (Kapha) das System überwältigt, wird das Herz starr und schwer, als ob es einen Stein in sich trüge. Es entstehen Husten, Knochenschwund und übermäßiger Schlaf.

Word by Word

• śleṣmaṇā: by phlegm (kapha)
• śleṣmaṇā: Karaṇa (Instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śleṣman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• hṛdayam: heart
• hṛdayam: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• stabdham: stiffened, obstructed
• stabdham: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of hṛdayam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: stabdha (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from √stambh (धातु) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle)

• bhārikam: heavy
• bhārikam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of hṛdayam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sa-aśma-garbha-vat: as if containing a stone
• sa-aśma-garbha-vat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of hṛdayam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + aśma (प्रातिपदिक) + garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय-पूर्वपद + तद्धित ‘-वत्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘अश्मगर्भवत्’ = having/like having a stone inside

• kāsāḥ: coughs
• kāsāḥ: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• asthi-sādana: bone-wasting
• asthi-sādana: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + sādana (प्रातिपदिक; sādana < √sad/√sād (धातु) भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘अस्थीनां सादनम्’ = wasting of bones

• niṣṭhīvana: spitting, expectoration
• niṣṭhīvana: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣṭhīvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ālasya: laziness, lethargy
• ālasya: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ālasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• aruci: loss of appetite
• aruci: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jvarāḥ: fevers
• jvarāḥ: Karta/State (Lakṣaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tamas and excess accumulation (kapha) manifest as heaviness and inertia; cultivate lightness and discipline.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa correspondence: kapha-like inertia parallels tamas; clarity arises through regulated habits.

Application: Counter kapha excess with warming/light diet, movement, and decongesting measures; address cough and fever early; avoid oversleep and heavy foods.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.154 (kapha symptom lists)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of kapha (śleṣma) symptoms in the Garuda Purana?

This verse lists recognizable signs of kapha aggravation—heaviness, stiffness, cough, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fever—showing that the Purana also preserves practical diagnostic wisdom alongside spiritual instruction.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by emphasizing bodily imbalance and suffering, it supports the text’s broader theme that disciplined living and right conduct reduce distress and help maintain clarity for dharma and spiritual progress.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the symptom-cluster as an early warning for kapha imbalance—address heaviness, excessive sleep, cough, and poor appetite through timely lifestyle correction and appropriate medical guidance.