Shloka 18

Visarpa Nidāna-Lakṣaṇa

Causes, Types, and Prognosis of Rapidly Spreading Eruptive Disorders

Devanagari script

मूर्छाग्निहानिर्भेदो ऽस्थ्नां पिपासेन्द्रियगौरवम् / आमोपवेशनं लेपः स्रोतसां स च सर्पति

Transliteration

mūrchāgnihānirbhedo 'sthnāṃ pipāsendriyagauravam / āmopaveśanaṃ lepaḥ srotasāṃ sa ca sarpati

Translation

Es treten Ohnmacht, Verlust des Verdauungsfeuers, spaltender Knochenschmerz, Durst und Schwere der Sinne auf; āma sammelt sich an, bildet einen verstopfenden Belag in den Körperkanälen (srotas), und diese Verstopfung breitet sich aus.

Word by Word

• मूर्छा-अग्नि-हानि-र्भेदः: fainting, loss of digestive fire, and splitting pain
• मूर्छा-अग्नि-हानि-र्भेदः: Karta (Subject/item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + हानि (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective set of symptoms)

• अस्थ्नाम्: of the bones
• अस्थ्नाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• पिपासा-इन्द्रिय-गौरवम्: thirst and heaviness of the senses
• पिपासा-इन्द्रिय-गौरवम्: Karta (Subject/item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपासा (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + गौरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (thirst and heaviness of senses)

• आम-उपवेशनम्: accumulation/settling of āma (toxins)
• आम-उपवेशनम्: Karta (Subject/item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आम (प्रातिपदिक) + उपवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थ ‘आमस्य उपवेशनम्’ (lodging/accumulation of āma)

• लेपः: coating/smearing
• लेपः: Karta (Subject/item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्रोतसाम्: of the channels
• स्रोतसाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• सः: it/he (that disease)
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सर्पति: spreads/crawls
• सर्पति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Accumulation and obstruction (āvaraṇa) produce cascading consequences; small neglect becomes systemic bondage—mirroring karmic accretion.

Vedantic Theme: Bandha as ‘obstruction’ by avidyā/saṃskāra; purification (śuddhi) as preparatory to clarity.

Application: Protect and kindle agni; address āma early (light diet, appropriate fasting/therapy under guidance) to prevent srotorodha and spreading pathology.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.163 (āma, srotas, agni-sadana motifs in disease progression)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of āma and srotas in this Garuda Purana verse?

It links disease progression to āma (undigested toxic residue) coating and obstructing srotas (body channels), a core Ayurvedic mechanism explaining systemic spread of pathology.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the soul’s journey; it explains bodily pathology—how weakened agni leads to āma accumulation, channel coating, and spreading symptoms.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It emphasizes protecting digestion (agni) and addressing signs of āma (heaviness, dull senses, thirst with weakness) early, since obstruction in channels tends to “spread” into wider systemic issues.