Shloka 17
Dṛṣṭānta on Siddhi: Pitṛ-Procedure, Non-Delusion, and Vyākaraṇa Classifications
कर्मसर्पिर्वपुस्तेज अज्झलन्ता नपुंसके / जाया जरा नदी लक्ष्मीः श्रीस्त्रीभूमिर्वधूरपि
karmasarpirvapusteja ajjhalantā napuṃsake / jāyā jarā nadī lakṣmīḥ śrīstrībhūmirvadhūrapi
„Karma“, „Ghee“, „der Körper“ und „Glanz (tejas)“; ebenso „Ajjhalantā“—diese werden im Neutrum gebraucht. „Ehefrau“, „Alter“, „Fluss“, „Lakṣmī“, „Śrī“, „Frau“, „Erde“ und „Braut“ sind ebenfalls feminin.
Lord Viṣṇu (teaching Garuḍa)
Concept: Linguistic gender as a conventional mapping onto concepts (substance, quality, relation), including culturally charged terms like Lakṣmī/Śrī.
Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa and adhyāropa (superimposition) in language: categories are useful conventions, not ultimate reality.
Application: In chanting, commentary, and translation, preserve grammatical gender where it affects agreement and meaning; note culturally loaded feminine terms (Lakṣmī/Śrī) with reverential precision.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.206.15; Garuda Purana 1.206.16; Garuda Purana 1.206.18; Garuda Purana 1.206.19
FAQs
This verse highlights correct noun-gender usage so that recitation, quotation, and ritual readings preserve accurate Sanskrit forms and meanings.
It does not describe the soul’s journey directly; it serves as a linguistic clarification within the teaching context, supporting precise scriptural transmission.
Use these gender cues when chanting or writing Sanskrit—especially in ritual contexts—so declensions and agreements remain correct and the text is preserved faithfully.