Shloka 21

Ṛtucaryā, Āhāra–Aushadha Prayoga, Viṣa-haraṇa, and Mantra Procedures

Devanagari script

विष्टम्भिकाञ्च हृच्छूलं हरत्येव महेश्वर ! / ॐ ह्रूं जः / मन्त्रो ऽयं हरते रुद्र ! सर्ववृश्चिकजं विषम्

Transliteration

viṣṭambhikāñca hṛcchūlaṃ haratyeva maheśvara ! / oṃ hrūṃ jaḥ / mantro 'yaṃ harate rudra ! sarvavṛścikajaṃ viṣam

Translation

O Maheśvara, wahrlich nimmt es Hemmnis und stechenden Herzschmerz hinweg. „Oṃ hrūṃ jaḥ“—dieses Mantra, o Rudra, vertreibt jedes von Skorpionen hervorgebrachte Gift.

Word by Word

• viṣṭambhikām: obstruction/constipation (a blocking ailment)
• viṣṭambhikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṭambhikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• hṛcchūlam: heart-pain
• hṛcchūlam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + śūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हृदयस्य शूलम्)

• harati: removes
• harati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• maheśvara: O Maheshvara (Śiva)
• maheśvara: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• oṃ: Oṃ
• oṃ: Sambandha (Mantric utterance/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: मन्त्र-प्रणव (sacred syllable; indeclinable)

• hrūṃ: hrūṃ (seed syllable)
• hrūṃ: Sambandha (Mantric utterance/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hrūṃ (अव्यय)
• Form: बीजमन्त्र-अव्यय (bīja syllable)

• jaḥ: jaḥ (mantric syllable)
• jaḥ: Sambandha (Mantric utterance/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: jaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: मन्त्राक्षर-अव्यय (mantric syllable)

• mantraḥ: the mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• harate: removes
• harate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Atmanepada

• rudra: O Rudra
• rudra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• sarva-vṛścika-jam: arising from any scorpion (scorpion-born)
• sarva-vṛścika-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛścika (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष (वृश्चिकात् जातम्) + उपपद-समास/विशेषण-प्रयोग

• viṣam: poison/venom
• viṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating a remedial mantra tradition within the discourse to Garuda)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Pitta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra as a remedial upāya that mitigates immediate suffering and danger; divine grace accessed through correct utterance.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha as a practical means within vyavahāra; śabda-śakti (mantra) as efficacious when aligned with devotion and discipline.

Application: Use the stated mantra as a protective/healing recitation in cases of obstruction-like distress and scorpion-poison symptoms, with focused mind and reverence to Rudra.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.182.22-25 (supporting antidote formulations and applications)

Characters & Entities

• Maheshvara
• Rudra
• Scorpion venom

FAQs

What is the importance of this scorpion-venom mantra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves a specific protective-healing mantra formula, presenting Rudra/Śiva as the remover of viṣa (venom/poison) and acute pain, showing the Purana’s role as a practical ritual and remedial handbook alongside its spiritual teachings.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader teachings?

While the Garuda Purana is famous for afterlife and dharma instruction, it also records prayoga-style applications—mantras and remedies for protection—linking divine names and bīja-syllables with the removal of suffering (duḥkha) and danger (viṣa).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights a traditional approach of invoking divine protection during crises; however, in modern practice, such recitation should complement—never replace—prompt medical care for venomous stings and chest pain.