Shloka 15

Devatā-Pratiṣṭhā: Maṇḍapa Construction, Dikpāla Worship, Kalaśa-Abhiṣeka, Nyāsa and Homa Procedures

Devanagari script

याम्यां वै कृष्णरूपा तु नैरृत्या श्यामला (धूसरा) भवेत् / वारुण्यां पाण्डुरा ज्ञेया वायव्यां पीतवर्णिका

Transliteration

yāmyāṃ vai kṛṣṇarūpā tu nairṛtyā śyāmalā (dhūsarā) bhavet / vāruṇyāṃ pāṇḍurā jñeyā vāyavyāṃ pītavarṇikā

Translation

Im Süden ist sie wahrlich von schwarzer Gestalt; im Südwesten (Nairṛti) wird sie dunkel oder rauchgrau. Im Westen, im Viertel Varuṇas, soll man sie als blass erkennen; und im Nordwesten, im Viertel Vāyus, ist sie gelb getönt.

Word by Word

• याम्याम्: in the south
• याम्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (southern direction)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृष्णरूपा: black-formed
• कृष्णरूपा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (कृष्णं रूपं यस्याः/या)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक/विरोधार्थक निपात

• नैरृत्याम्: in the southwest
• नैरृत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैरृती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (southwest direction)

• श्यामला: dark/greenish
• श्यामला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्यामल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• धूसरा: grey
• धूसरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पाठान्तर-विशेषण (variant reading)

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वारुण्याम्: in Varuṇa’s quarter (west)
• वारुण्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (western/northwestern?—Varuṇa’s quarter, usually west)

• पाण्डुरा: pale/whitish
• पाण्डुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• ज्ञेया: is to be known (as)
• ज्ञेया: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → ज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; कर्तव्य/निर्देश (to be known/considered)

• वायव्याम्: in the northwest
• वायव्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (northwest direction)

• पीतवर्णिका: yellow-colored
• पीतवर्णिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत + वर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (पीता वर्णिका/पीतवर्णा)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ritual space is stabilized by mapping qualities (guṇa/rūpa/varṇa) onto directions; each quarter has a distinct energetic signature.

Vedantic Theme: Order (ṛta) expressed as differentiated nāma-rūpa within one sacred field; discipline of perception in upāsanā.

Application: In visualization practices, keep consistent color associations to strengthen memory, focus, and a sense of protected boundary.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-mandala

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.48.14 (cloud/smoke forms); Garuda Purana 1.48.16 (additional named powers and colors)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Nirṛti
• Varuṇa
• Vāyu

FAQs

What is the importance of directional colors in the Garuda Purana?

This verse assigns specific colors to specific quarters (south, south‑west, west, north‑west), supporting ritual visualization and cosmological mapping used in Purāṇic practice.

How does this verse relate to Yama and the afterlife themes of the Garuda Purana?

By marking the southern quarter as Yama’s and describing its associated color-quality, the text reinforces the symbolic geography often invoked when discussing Yama’s domain and post-death orientation.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

In japa, homa, or pūjā visualizations, practitioners can align mental imagery with traditional directional attributes (dik/varṇa) to maintain consistency with scriptural cosmology.