Shloka 16

Auṣadha-Yoga: Medicinal Powders, External Therapies, Fumigation, and Vishnu as Supreme Remedy

Devanagari script

एतान्यौषधजातानि कथितानि उमापते / निघ्नन्ति ताश्च रोगांश्च वृक्षमिन्द्राशनिर्यथा

Transliteration

etānyauṣadhajātāni kathitāni umāpate / nighnanti tāśca rogāṃśca vṛkṣamindrāśaniryathā

Translation

O Umāpati, diese Arten heilkräftiger Kräuter sind dargelegt worden; sie vernichten die Krankheiten, wie Indras Donnerkeil einen Baum fällt.

Word by Word

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (सर्वनाम)

• औषधजातानि: medicine-groups/medicinal kinds
• औषधजातानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषध (प्रातिपदिक) + जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; औषध-जात = औषधसमूह/औषधप्रकार (kinds/groups of medicines)

• कथितानि: have been stated
• कथितानि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कथ्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (are) 'told/declared'

• उमापते: O Umāpati (Śiva)
• उमापते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; उमा-पति = 'husband of Umā'

• निघ्नन्ति: they destroy/remove
• निघ्नन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; नि-उपसर्ग

• ताः: they (those)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (सर्वनाम)

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

• रोगान्: diseases
• रोगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• वृक्षम्: a tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• इन्द्राशनिः: the thunderbolt
• इन्द्राशनिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अशनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इन्द्र-अशनि = 'Indra's thunderbolt'

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानबोधक-अव्यय (comparative adverb: 'as/like')

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narration within the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue; the verse addresses Umāpati as a respectful epithet)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right knowledge of remedies (auṣadha-jāta) and their proper description/application is itself empowering and disease-destroying.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa and śāstra-guided action: correct teaching (upadeśa) enables effective vyavahāra; divine simile links natural efficacy to cosmic governance.

Application: Study and apply the enumerated remedies systematically; treat the text as a compendium where correct identification and method matter.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.193.14-15 (materia and dhūpa use); Garuda Purana 1.193.17 (Vishnu as supreme medicine)

Characters & Entities

• Umāpati (Śiva)
• Indra

FAQs

What is the importance of medicinal herbs in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that properly known and applied herbs can decisively remove disease, using the thunderbolt metaphor to stress their potency.

Does this verse relate to afterlife teachings like Yama’s realm or preta rites?

Not directly; it belongs to a practical, health-oriented instruction where remedies are praised for eliminating illness, rather than describing death rituals or the soul’s journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat health knowledge as sacred and precise: learn authentic remedies from qualified tradition/medical guidance, and apply them consistently to prevent and remove disease.