Shloka 40

Oṣadhi-nāma-nirdeśa: Paryāya (Synonyms) of Herbs, Minerals, and Classical Measures

Devanagari script

अजवर्णो भवेदूर्जो वाजिकर्णो ऽश्वकर्णकः / श्लेष्मान्तकस्तथा शेलुर्बहुवारश्च कथ्यते

Transliteration

ajavarṇo bhavedūrjo vājikarṇo 'śvakarṇakaḥ / śleṣmāntakastathā śelurbahuvāraśca kathyate

Translation

Ūrja soll von ziegenähnlicher Färbung sein; (er) ist auch als Vājikarṇa und Aśvakarṇaka bekannt. Ebenso wird er Śleṣmāntaka, Śelu und Bahuvāra genannt.

Word by Word

• अजवर्णः: Ajavarṇa (name/epithet)
• अजवर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘अजस्य वर्णः’/‘अज-वर्ण’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवेत्: is; may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘may be/is’

• ऊर्जः: Ūrja (name)
• ऊर्जः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाजिकर्णः: Vājikarṇa (name)
• वाजिकर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘वाजिनः कर्णः’/‘horse-eared’ as name), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्वकर्णकः: Aśvakarṇaka (name)
• अश्वकर्णकः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्णक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘अश्वस्य कर्णकः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्लेष्मान्तकः: Śleṣmāntaka (phlegm-destroyer; name)
• श्लेष्मान्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लेष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘श्लेष्मणः अन्तकः’ = destroyer of phlegm), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise’)

• शेलुः: Śelu (name)
• शेलुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेलु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• बहुवारः: Bahuvāra (name)
• बहुवारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘बहु-वार’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• कथ्यते: is called
• कथ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘is said/called’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Lakṣaṇa (diagnostic mark) plus nāma-bheda: identifying a substance by appearance and by functional name.

Vedantic Theme: Empirical knowledge as a support for right action; clarity in the field of guṇa/karma of substances.

Application: Use both morphology (goat-like complexion) and functional epithet (kapha-reducing) to confirm the intended herb before use.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (continuing synonym lists)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Ūrja
• Vājikarṇa
• Aśvakarṇaka
• Śleṣmāntaka
• Śelu
• Bahuvāra

FAQs

What is the importance of listing multiple names in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves traditional epithets and alternate names used in ritual and recitation contexts, helping practitioners identify the same figure across different regional or textual usages.

How does this verse connect to Garuda Purana death rituals?

Such name-lists function like a ritual glossary: in rites and narrated descriptions, the same being may appear under different titles, so the text clarifies equivalences for accurate remembrance and invocation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When studying or performing Garuda Purana-related śrāddha/recitation traditions, treat variant names as cross-references—use them to match commentaries, local manuals, and oral traditions without confusion.