Shloka 21

Yuga-Dharma, Kalpa Measure, Purāṇa Definitions, and the Kali-Yuga Power of Nāma-Kīrtana

Devanagari script

पुराणं धर्मशास्त्रञ्च वेदास्त्वङ्गानि यन्मुने / न्यायः शौनक मीमांसा आयुर्वेदार्थशास्त्रकम् / गान्धर्वश्च धनुर्वेदो विद्या ह्यष्टादशस्मृताः

Transliteration

purāṇaṃ dharmaśāstrañca vedāstvaṅgāni yanmune / nyāyaḥ śaunaka mīmāṃsā āyurvedārthaśāstrakam / gāndharvaśca dhanurvedo vidyā hyaṣṭādaśasmṛtāḥ

Translation

O Weiser: Purāṇa und Dharmaśāstra, zusammen mit den Veden und ihren Hilfsgliedern; Nyāya, die Mīmāṁsā des Śaunaka, Āyurveda, Arthaśāstra, Gāndharva (die Wissenschaft der Musik) und Dhanurveda (die Wissenschaft des Krieges) — diese Wissenszweige gelten als achtzehn.

Word by Word

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धर्मशास्त्रम्: Dharmaśāstra
• धर्मशास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य शास्त्रम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masc., Nom., Pl.)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अङ्गानि: limbs/auxiliaries
• अङ्गानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (relative pronoun)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Voc., Sg.)

• न्यायः: Nyāya (system)
• न्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शौनक: Śaunaka (tradition/text)
• शौनक: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaunaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन, एकवचन (context: list-item; form is stem-like)

• मीमांसा: Mīmāṃsā
• मीमांसा: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mīmāṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आयुर्वेदार्थशास्त्रकम्: Āyurveda and Arthaśāstra
• आयुर्वेदार्थशास्त्रकम्: Karma (Object/List item/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyurveda (प्रातिपदिक) + arthaśāstraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (आयुर्वेदः च अर्थशास्त्रकम् च)

• गान्धर्वः: Gāndharva (music/arts)
• गान्धर्वः: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात

• धनुर्वेदः: Dhanurveda (archery/military science)
• धनुर्वेदः: Karta (List item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus + veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (धनुषः वेदः)

• विद्याः: branches of knowledge
• विद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, कारण/अवधारणार्थे (indeed/for)

• अष्टादश: eighteen
• अष्टादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective), ‘eighteen’ (used to qualify ‘vidyāḥ’)

• स्मृताः: are regarded/are remembered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + ta (क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स्मृत’ = ‘remembered/considered’

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Garuḍa)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Eighteen vidyās constitute a traditional curriculum integrating revelation, reasoning, ethics, health, polity, arts, and martial science.

Vedantic Theme: Integration of aparā-vidyā (auxiliary sciences) in service of parā-vidyā (ultimate knowledge); disciplined learning as sādhana-support.

Application: Adopt a balanced learning model: ethics (dharma), critical reasoning (nyāya/mīmāṃsā), wellbeing (āyurveda), livelihood/governance (artha), arts (gāndharva), and self-mastery—without losing sight of higher purpose.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.223.17-20 (context: catalogues of texts/knowledge)

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Garuḍa
• Śaunaka

FAQs

What is the importance of aṣṭādaśa-vidyā (eighteen sciences) in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse frames dharma as supported by a complete traditional curriculum—Purāṇa, Dharmaśāstra, Vedas and allied disciplines—showing that right conduct is grounded in a broad scriptural and practical knowledge system.

How does this verse relate to Garuḍa Purāṇa teachings beyond death rituals?

Although the text is famous for afterlife topics, this chapter emphasizes foundational learning—logic, ritual exegesis, medicine, polity, arts, and warfare—indicating that dharma and right living are built on comprehensive śāstric education.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Study and apply dharma with balance: combine spiritual texts (Purāṇa, Dharmaśāstra) with disciplined reasoning (Nyāya/Mīmāṁsā) and practical welfare sciences (Āyurveda/Arthaśāstra), so ethics becomes both informed and actionable.