Shloka 25

Gāruḍa-Māhātmya and Tārkṣya-Stotra: Fruits of Hearing/Reciting and the Power of Garuḍa’s Praise

Devanagari script

नागौ दृष्टिविषौ कृत्वा रजसा तु विचक्षुषौ / तीक्ष्णाग्रेण न सा भङ्क्त्वाविक्रवेतौ मनोहतः?

Transliteration

nāgau dṛṣṭiviṣau kṛtvā rajasā tu vicakṣuṣau / tīkṣṇāgreṇa na sā bhaṅktvāvikravetau manohataḥ?

Translation

Nachdem der Blick der beiden Nāgas zu Gift gemacht und die Augen durch Staub getrübt sind, würde sie nicht von etwas Scharfem, spitz Zulaufendem durchbohrt—aufstöhnend vor Qual, den Geist überwältigt?

Word by Word

• नागौ: two serpents
• नागौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• दृष्टिविषौ: having poison in their gaze / poisonous-eyed
• दृष्टिविषौ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दृष्ट्या विषं येषाम्/दृष्टिः विषम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund)

• रजसा: with dust/pollen
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

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

• विचक्षुषौ: (made) with altered/affected sight
• विचक्षुषौ: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; विशेषण (clear-sighted/with eyes)

• तीक्ष्णाग्रेण: with a sharp point/edge
• तीक्ष्णाग्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (तीक्ष्णम् अग्रं यस्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation particle)

• सा: she/that (one)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भङ्क्त्वा: having broken
• भङ्क्त्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having broken’

• विक्रवेतौ: (the two) cried out/wailed (uncertain)
• विक्रवेतौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + क्रु (धातु) → क्रवेत (कृदन्त/रूप-अनिश्चित)
• Form: रूपपाठ-अनिश्चित; सम्भाव्यं विधेयवत् द्विवचन (two ...), धातु: क्रु/क्रव् (to cry out)

• मनोहतः: mind-stricken / mentally stunned
• मनोहतः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मनः हतः), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन/द्विवचन-प्रयोगे पाठसन्देह

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Unchecked hostility and deceit (poisoned gaze, blinding dust) rebound into suffering; violence and delusion cloud discernment.

Vedantic Theme: Avidyā as ‘rajas’ (dust) obscuring vision; krodha/hiṃsā as viṣa that binds the mind.

Application: Avoid manipulative tactics; when anger rises, pause and clear ‘mental dust’ through breath, prayer, or counsel before acting.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana narrative clusters on nāga-viṣa and deception motifs (contextual)

Characters & Entities

• Nāga (serpents)

FAQs

What is the importance of serpents and sharp-pointed pain imagery in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid imagery—poisonous gaze, blinding dust, and sharp piercing—to convey karmic suffering and the overwhelming fear/mental distress experienced in punitive afterlife conditions.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It suggests the soul’s post-death experience can include terrifying, sense-afflicting conditions (blinded eyes, poisoned sight) and acute pain, reflecting the consequences of prior actions (karma) described in the Purana’s afterlife narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate restraint and dharmic conduct—reducing harmful actions and mental cruelty—since the text frames suffering after death as karmically conditioned and intensified by fear and mental agitation.